Finally, they arrived at the Throne Chamber—a vast, circular hall with a ceiling that resembled a cosmic expanse, shifting between constellations and galaxies. The room was lined with more guards, their silent yet firm stance a display of discipline.

  At the center of it all, seated upon their majestic thrones, were the Royal Family of Masumi.

  The King, a towering figure with a regal presence, sat at the highest throne. His eyes, sharp as a hawk’s, carried wisdom beyond centuries. His Queen, poised and graceful, exuded an aura of serene authority, her presence both comforting and commanding. Beside them sat their two Princesses, each radiating their own unique strength and elegance.

  Rieko, leading the way, took a step forward and bowed in deep reverence. Joseph and his team followed suit, lowering themselves in respect before the rulers of the Red River Kingdom.

  The atmosphere was silent, yet charged with anticipation. The fate of their mission—perhaps even the fate of the realms—would be decided in this very moment.

  Rieko stood before the Royal Family of Masumi, her expression steadfast as she delivered her report. She recounted the battles waged in the Hyperverse, the warriors who had fallen, the civilizations lost, and the devastation left in the anomaly’s wake.

  Despite the losses, she assured the king and queen that she had managed to restore order, stabilizing the rifts that threatened to unravel countless worlds.

  “This task was no easy feat,” she admitted, “but order has been restored. And with it, the passage between realms remains intact.”

  Once she finished, she took a step back, gesturing towards Joseph and his team. The weight of the royal family’s gaze fell upon him, and for a brief moment, Joseph felt an overwhelming sense of scrutiny. He met their eyes, one by one, before the King, Naoki, finally spoke.

  “We are grateful for your assistance in protecting the neighboring planets,” the king began, his voice firm yet composed. “However—” his tone darkened slightly, “we are already aware that it was your actions that led to the anomaly in the first place.”

  Joseph stiffened.

  Naoki’s expression remained unreadable. “You have meddled with time, disrupted the natural order, and caused chaos across multiple dimensions. Do you understand the burden you’ve placed on all of us to correct your mistake?”

  Joseph swallowed, unsure of how to respond. The words struck deep, but before he could defend himself, Queen Saki spoke.

  Her tone, though calm, carried a sharp edge. “Your recklessness is not without consequence, Joseph. You wield great power, yet you fail to respect the weight of your actions.” She leaned forward slightly, her gaze piercing. “You are fortunate that others were here to fix what you shattered.”

  Joseph could feel his team’s silent support beside him, but it was Princess Ryoko, the elder princess, who struck the final blow.

  Her voice was cold, laced with disdain. “Beyond your meddling with time, there is another thing I cannot ignore—your disregard for honor and respect toward women.”

  Joseph flinched at the accusation.

  “You carry yourself as though your power makes you invincible,” she continued, her eyes locking onto his, “but respect is not earned through strength alone. It is through understanding, through honor—something you lack.”

  The weight of her words settled deep, a chill running down Joseph’s spine. Though the youngest princess, Rina, remained silent, merely observing, Joseph could tell that the judgment had been passed.

  Still, despite their harsh words, the royal family acknowledged his efforts. They gave thanks once more—not only to him but to his entire team.

  Finally, King Naoki spoke again, his tone neutral once more.

  “You will remain in the Red River Kingdom until the time comes for your passage to the next realm—Katsuragi, Victory Empire. When that time arrives, you will be summoned.”

  Joseph bowed slightly in response, as did Rieko and his team. However, just as they turned to leave, the king and queen requested a private audience with Rieko alone, leaving Joseph and the others to exit the palace on their own.

  ***

  Outside the castle, Joseph’s team led him through the bustling kingdom, showing him its wonders. They explored high-tech shopping districts, sprawling malls, and stunning marketplaces filled with exotic goods.

  The food they tried was unlike anything Joseph had tasted before—rich in flavors, futuristic in preparation, and enhanced with rare spices from across the multiverse.

  For a moment, he forgot the weight of the royal judgment, allowing himself to enjoy the marvels of Akakawa.

  But then—

  ***

  As they walked through the lively streets, a mysterious figure approached them. He had been watching them for some time, and as Joseph turned to him, the man spoke with a silky, persuasive voice.

  “Ah, I see you’re carrying some rather... outdated tech,” the man mused, eyeing the prototype device in Joseph’s hand. “A piece that has clearly been through many modifications.”

  Joseph raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

  “I can upgrade it for you,” the man continued smoothly. “No more tedious modifications, no more patchwork fixes. I can refine it into perfection.”

  Joseph’s team immediately tensed.

  Yoshinori shot Joseph a warning glance. “Don’t trust him. He’s a con artist.”

  The others nodded in agreement, their wariness clear.

  But Joseph hesitated. The offer was tempting. His tech had gone through countless upgrades, constantly needing adjustments. If someone could make it perfect—why refuse?

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  Ignoring his team’s warnings, he handed over the device.

  “Follow me,” the charlatan said, gesturing toward a nearby alley. “My shop is just this way.”

  But before they could reach his so-called shop, a deafening roar shattered the air—

  Above them, the sky twisted into darkness. The air grew heavy, reality itself warping.

  Then, with a colossal tear, a massive portal opened—darker than the void itself, its edges writhing like a black hole ready to consume the world.

  A surge of panic swept through the kingdom as alarms blared.

  Warriors–knights, hunters, and knight-hunters sprang into action, their weapons drawn. Defensive drones deployed, while mechanized war machines rumbled to life.

  From within the abyssal portal, monstrous entities emerged—twisted creatures of unfathomable horror, their forms shifting unnaturally, as if they were never meant to exist.

  Within the palace, Rieko, the King, Queen, and Princess Ryoko arrived at the scene in a blur of motion. Meanwhile, the youngest princess, Rina, remained in the castle, heavily protected by elite warriors.

  A roar unlike anything heard before erupted from the portal.

  The battle began.

  Joseph turned sharply—only to see the charlatan fleeing with his tech.

  “That bastard!” he growled.

  His team’s words echoed in his head. “We told you not to trust him!”

  But Joseph wasted no time. He stretched out his hand—

  In an instant, his tech tore itself from the charlatan’s grip, zipping through the air and landing back into his palm.

  The device transformed, its energy crackling violently. It extended into a luminous saber of pure energy—

  And just in time.

  A monstrous creature lunged at him, claws bared. Joseph swung the blade, cutting through its form in one fluid motion.

  As the battle raged, the civilians were evacuated, guided by security droids who also fought to protect them. The warriors, alongside the royal family, fought valiantly against the invading horrors.

  But then—

  A new presence emerged from the portal.

  A colossal entity, its very existence warping the laws of reality.

  Its form was still obscured, but what little had emerged was enough to send shockwaves through the kingdom.

  Buildings collapsed. The air distorted. Reality itself began to break.

  Rieko gritted her teeth, pouring all her energy into a powerful shield, struggling to keep the kingdom from unraveling into nothingness. But the strain was immense—and the monster was still emerging.

  Only a single glimpse of its jaw had caused this level of destruction.

  And it was still coming through.

  Joseph gripped his weapon tightly, standing amidst the carnage. He had already made one mistake today—

  Now, he had one chance to make it right.

  And this battle was far from over.

  This was no ordinary monster. It was a supreme god-being, its aura emanating a level of power that surpassed the outerversal threshold. A cosmic god in its monstrous form, something beyond even Rieko’s formidable strength. She recognized the threat and its vast capabilities, but she refused to yield, knowing that if she did, they would all perish. Joseph watched, grimacing, as he saw the strain on Rieko’s face. Her aura flared desperately around them, a shield barely holding as the planet itself began to crack. Space and celestial debris spilled out, floating in an endless expanse of void.

  Joseph and his team channeled their auras toward Rieko, rushing to her side, but it wasn’t enough. The monster's assault grew fiercer, and the barrier she fought to maintain trembled.

  Despite their combined efforts, it was clear that their strength wasn’t sufficient. The warriors, citizens, and the royal family, all united in channeling their auras, could not prevent the inevitable. The shield Rieko fought to uphold faltered, bit by bit. It seemed as though all hope was lost.

  Then, like a flash of blinding light, salvation arrived. Aiko Kento descended from the heavens, her aura burning with cosmic energy, her flight speed so immense it was almost blinding. She crashed into the portal, a surge of energy enveloping her as she collided with the monster, her cosmic aura radiating in waves.

  The shockwave that followed was catastrophic. A cosmic devastation, an explosive force so great it threatened to consume everything. It tore through space itself, leaving a crack in the void—space-time itself seemed to tremble before the portal finally closed. The shock left the people battered, their strength spent. The barely sustaining shield flickered in the vast emptiness of space.

  Not long after, Aiko descended from the heavens, her figure radiant against the sun, exuding an aura so immense that it seemed to overshadow everything around her. She had just faced the cosmic beast, her form bearing the marks of battle—scuffed and bruised—but her regenerative powers were already working, mending her wounds with uncanny speed, restoring her to full strength in an instant.

  Her presence was a beacon of hope. Her aura, an angelic display of cosmic divinity, stretched out in every direction, mending the cracks in space and time. With a single gesture, she restored their planet, healed the injured, revived the dead, and rejuvenated the people’s auras to full strength. As quickly as she had appeared, she descended to the Earth in her base form, graceful and serene.

  The citizens and warriors erupted in cheers for Aiko’s timely intervention, a collective sigh of relief sweeping over them. She approached the king and queen, bowing in respectful acknowledgment of their leadership. Not far from them, Joseph watched the scene unfold, an amused smile tugging at his lips. This was the second time he had seen Aiko in person, but the first time he had witnessed her in action.

  As Aiko finished her exchange with the royal family, Joseph stepped forward. They both exchanged brief but respectful bows before sharing a few words. His admiration for her efforts was clear, but there was more to the moment than the surface exchange.

  Aiko, however, was not unaware of Joseph. She knew who he was. Their paths had crossed before, back in Fujimori, Wisteria Forest kingdom. After a brief conversation, she turned to follow the king and queen into the castle, reporting on the success of her mission.

  In the aftermath, Joseph and his team were escorted to their quarters by a royal agent, sent at the request of Princess Ryoko. The quarters were stunning, a testament to the wealth and power of the kingdom. The agent left them with a final reminder: once their business with the king and queen was concluded, they would be summoned to the castle.

  Joseph and his team spent their remaining days exploring the kingdom, venturing deeper into its labyrinth of streets, dungeons, and forgotten corners. One bright afternoon, as they navigated through the bustling market, Joseph's attention was drawn to a woman moving gracefully among the crowd. She wore a hijab that framed her face, and despite the modesty of her attire, there was a quiet beauty about her. Though he had seen her before in the kingdom—often covered in a hijab or jilbab, sometimes even a niqab—he couldn't quite place where. Today, however, she wore her hijab without the added layers, and she seemed more approachable.

  As their paths crossed, she caught his eye. He recognized her immediately, and she, in turn, smiled warmly as recognition sparked in her eyes. "You don't remember me, do you?" she asked gently. Joseph's brow furrowed in thought until she added, "You saved my life during the last crisis."

  A flood of memories rushed back to him. He recalled the incident, how he had intervened at great personal risk to protect her. She had been caught in the chaos, her life hanging by a thread. Now, standing before him, she seemed a far cry from the terrified woman he had once helped.

  They walked together, the air filled with easy conversation, as if they had known each other for years, sharing stories and laughing. There was a comfort between them, an unspoken understanding that drew them closer with every word.

  When they reached her doorstep, the mood shifted. A quiet tension hung in the air as they locked eyes, and for a moment, neither spoke. Joseph’s gaze fell to her hand, where a wedding ring caught his eye. His curiosity got the better of him, and he asked, "Are you married?"

  The question took her by surprise. She hesitated, her mind racing. If she told him the truth, would it scare him away? Would he see her as off-limits? After a brief pause, she lied, her voice steady, "I’m separated."

  Joseph smiled, the weight of her words easing his mind. "I see," he said, though something lingered in his eyes. She led him inside, where her apartment greeted him with warmth and charm. The space was modest, but it felt lived-in, full of memories. His eyes wandered to the walls, where framed photos caught his attention—images of a smiling couple, their joy evident, and children who looked like they had stolen her heart.

  "Make yourself comfortable," she said, before disappearing into the kitchen. Joseph sat, quietly absorbing his surroundings, still processing the strange mix of emotions that bubbled up within him.