A vast emptiness swallowed the warriors as they plunged through the abyss. There was no sky, no ground—only an endless fall through a dimension that defied all logic. Time itself felt meaningless here. The deeper they fell, the heavier their bodies became, as if unseen chains were pulling them toward an inescapable fate.
"Where is the bottom?" Shadow Fang gritted his teeth, twisting in midair to scan the darkness.
"There might not be one," Infinity God muttered, his silver-white coat billowing as he spread his arms. With a flicker of cosmic energy, he stopped himself mid-fall, his body hovering in the void.
One by one, the warriors used their abilities to stabilize themselves. Galaxy God conjured a gravitational field, slowing his descent, while Aurora Yoichi casually floated, as if the laws of this world did not apply to him.
"The Phantom said that was only the first test," Aqua Zephyr said, her voice uneasy. "Then what is the second?"
As if responding to her words, the abyss shifted. A deep vibration rippled through the void, and then—
A monstrous, gaping mouth opened beneath them.
The Maw of the Abyss
It wasn't just a mouth. It was a gate, lined with jagged, blackened teeth, stretching endlessly in all directions. Within its depths, a spiraling vortex of cosmic destruction churned—a pit where even gods could be erased from existence.
A voice echoed from the darkness.
"Descend willingly, or be devoured."
The warriors exchanged glances. This was a choice, but one with no good answer.
"We're being tested," Infinity God said, narrowing his gaze. "If we resist, we fail. If we fall, we might not return."
Galaxy God smirked. "Then we make our own path." Without hesitation, he unleashed a burst of gravitational force, redirecting his body away from the mouth. "I refuse to be swallowed by some abyssal monster."
But the moment he moved, the entire void trembled.
"Wrong answer," the voice boomed.
The abyss reacted. The gaping maw expanded, stretching across the entire horizon. The warriors' bodies were dragged toward it with inescapable force. No matter how much power they exerted, they could not resist.
One by one, they were pulled in.
And then—nothing.
The Forgotten Chamber
When Infinity God opened his eyes, he was no longer falling. He stood in a massive, circular chamber, the walls etched with unreadable celestial symbols. The air felt ancient, heavy with the presence of something beyond comprehension.
The others appeared around him, equally disoriented.
"Where are we now?" Shadow Fang muttered.
A single figure stood in the center of the room. Not the Phantom Beyond Time, but someone—or something—else entirely. A tall, faceless being draped in golden-black robes, its body seemingly composed of flowing energy. It radiated power that even Infinity God took a moment to assess.
The entity finally spoke, its voice layered with echoes of countless souls.
"Welcome to the Forgotten Chamber. The next test begins now."
"Enough of this," Aurora Yoichi growled, stepping forward. His golden eyes flared with celestial energy. "We didn't come here to play games."
The entity slowly lifted its hand. "Then prove your worth… by facing what you fear most."
The chamber shifted. The walls melted away, revealing a battlefield unlike any before. But what appeared before the warriors was not another monster, nor another illusion.
It was themselves.
Not just reflections, but twisted versions—warriors consumed by rage, by despair, by the hunger for power.
Infinity God's eyes darkened. "They aren't just clones…"
Galaxy God clenched his fists. "They are what we could become."
The warriors stood face to face with their darkest potential. And this time—there would be no mercy.
To Be Continued…
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