Chapter 58 – Collapse Protocol

As Team Kaien advanced deeper into the Innermost Ring of the Gravity Sea, the gravitational warping grew chaotic—pillars bent unnaturally, shadows distorted, and chakra trembled in the air like an unstable heartbeat.

Kaien paused, narrowing his eyes.

"Something's wrong…"

Suddenly, a tremor struck the entire reactor cavern. Fissures of blue-white energy cracked through the walls. Alarms—chakra-imbued klaxons—began howling across the structure.

Makoto scanned the readings on her sensor scroll. "Power draw is spiking—from the Heartstone Core!"

Yua turned to Kaien. "Could it be awakening on its own?"

"No…" Kōetsu's voice was grim. "Someone's forcing it open."

A massive explosion rocked the sub-core chamber. Gravity inverted in a flash—stones flew upward, light bent. From the smoke emerged a group of rogue shinobi, clad in gravity-weave cloaks and bearing sigils of ancient banned clans.

Their leader stepped forward.

Tall. Muscular. Cloaked in void-black armor etched with kinetic runes. His eyes burned with anti-light—a vortex of collapsed stars.

"Zaruk the Gravity Heretic," Kōetsu said darkly. "The former Warden of the Core. Banished for trying to merge with the Heartstone."

Zaruk's voice echoed like crushing stones. "You let this world grow soft, Kōetsu. But now it's time to let it fall… so the strong can fly."

Shisui stepped forward. "You'll kill everyone if you destroy the Heartstone."

"Better to burn gravity to ash than chain ourselves to a broken system," Zaruk growled. "The Collapse is coming, boy. I'm just starting it early."

With a flick of his hand, Zaruk unleashed a Graviton Hammer Pulse, flattening the field. Kōetsu blocked it with an arch-field, but was thrown back, blood leaking from his nose.

Yua and Makoto unleashed coordinated attacks—chakra ribbons and seal kunai—but Zaruk phased through them, his body twisting through micro-wormholes.

He appeared behind them and unleashed a gravity dome. They were trapped—barely able to breathe.

Shisui, heart pounding, tried to move—but Zaruk's weight field crushed his knees. His chakra flickered, useless against the oppressive force.

"I can't… move…"

Zaruk stalked toward him. "You were born in the wrong era. The future belongs to monsters like me."

Something snapped inside Shisui.

Time slowed.

He saw his friends pinned. Kōetsu bloodied. Kaien wounded. The Heartstone cracking.

And then—a call.

A pulse.

From within his soul.

A voice, calm and eternal:

"Awaken… Astradríga."