The square had become a tense battleground, with Stark and Sora pinned against the wall, surrounded by the other trial participants.
Everyone was inching closer, ready to strike. Stark, however, stood completely calm, his gaze locked onto the sky.
The smile that had just spread across his face sent a wave of unease rippling through the crowd.
"What's so funny, Chosen?" CEO asked, his voice low and cold, as if he had already won this battle.
Stark didn't respond immediately.
Instead, he simply raised his hand, pointing directly at the sky.
His smile widened, and before anyone could react, his voice rang out, calm and composed, yet filled with an undeniable threat.
"[Heaven's Spear]," he whispered.
The moment those words left his mouth, the atmosphere shifted.
"Did he just say Heaven's Spear-"
A loud crack echoed through the sky as a massive tear split open the heavens above them.
The sound was deafening, like the earth itself was groaning in protest.
Everyone froze, eyes snapping upward in fear and disbelief.
"NOT AGAIN?!"
"WHAT?"
From the rift in the sky, a figure emerged—an angelic being, nearly 50 kilometers tall, towering over everything.
Its wings were vast, stretching across the horizon, casting a dark shadow over the entire city.
The angel's presence alone was enough to paralyze them all.
In its hands, the being summoned a colossal spear of pure crimson energy, glowing ominously.
The spear's tip crackled with power, as if ready to obliterate anything in its path.
The participants who had been advancing just moments ago stopped dead in their tracks, their faces drained of color.
Everyone knew what this meant.
Stark had used this ability before, at the very beginning of the trial, to destroy one of the Crimson Moons trio.
And now, that same unstoppable force was aimed directly at them.
"Shit...!" Shock muttered, electricity still crackling across his skin, but his confidence visibly crumbling.
Kai Algren, the Artist, stopped drawing, his invisible brushes frozen in midair.
Even the ever-bored artist couldn't hide the flicker of fear in his eyes.
Claire and Dave, the two combat experts, exchanged glances.
Dave's grip tightened around his sword, but neither of them moved an inch.
They knew better.
"I'll make this simple," Stark began, his voice cutting through the air like a blade. "If any of you come near Sora or me, that spear comes down. And we all know what happens if it hits."
There was no need for further explanation.
The crimson spear in the angel's hands was so massive, so overwhelming, that it was clear to everyone that even a single strike would result in instant death.
No skill, no defense could withstand that level of destruction.
It was the ultimate form of Stark's ability—[Crimson Spears].
He didn't need to boast or scream. The power spoke for itself.
[2/3]
The system message flashed in front of everyone's eyes. One more.
"One more," Follower cackled, his eyes wild with bloodlust. "Just one more, and we're free!"
Rightlef, one of CEO's goons, looked visibly shaken, backing away slowly from the chaos.
He had followed orders without question up until now, but this—this was madness.
He turned to CEO, as if waiting for an order or reassurance, but CEO's eyes had gone cold.
"Sorry, Rightlef," CEO muttered, a deadly calm in his voice. "You're the weakest link."
Before Rightlef could even process what was happening, CEO's hand shot out.
A thin beam of energy, almost too fast to see, pierced through Rightlef's chest.
His eyes widened in shock as he crumpled to the ground.
[3/3]
Ding!
The crimson text above the gate shifted once again.
[Gate Opened.]
[Mio and Righlef have been eliminated, 12 participants remain.]
The massive gate slowly began to creak open, the grinding of metal against stone echoing across the square.
The path into Termina lay ahead of them now, dark and foreboding.
Stark lowered his hand, and with it, the angel began to fade, the rift in the sky closing slowly.
The colossal spear vanished, leaving only an eerie silence in its wake.
He didn't use the perk, meaning that it was still available.
For a moment, no one moved.
Everyone was still processing what had just happened.
"Now, if you're smart," Stark said, turning away from the group, "you'll go through the gate and stay the hell out of our way."
The participants glanced at each other, still unsure, but none of them dared make a move against Stark or Sora.
They had seen firsthand what Stark was capable of, and none of them wanted to be on the receiving end of [Heaven's Spear].
With the gate now open, one by one, the group began to move forward.
Shock was the first to step through, followed by Dave and Claire, then Artist and Clever.
Each of them cast wary glances at Stark and Sora, but none of them dared speak a word.
CEO was the last to go, but not before meeting Stark's eyes one final time.
"This isn't over," CEO said, his voice low and dangerous.
Stark just smiled. "We'll see about that."
With that, CEO turned and walked through the gate, disappearing into the city beyond alongside Partner.
As the last of the participants vanished into Termina, Stark finally let out a small sigh of relief.
Sora, beside him, let out an extremely small smile, knowing that—for now—they were safe.
"Well," Stark said, glancing at Sora. "That was fun."
And with that, they turned toward the gate, walking into the unknown.