Re:Awakening with Ultimate Power as a Cosmic God-Chapter 82: Ch : Your Choice - Part 3

Malrik lunged at X’lat, aether flaring behind him like a trail of fire, his newfound strength screaming for release. His aether pulsed with his intent.

But as his blade arced toward the synthetic figure, it struck an invisible wall—an energy barrier that shattered his momentum and flung him backwards.

He crashed to the ground, coughing, stunned by the impact.

"Damn it!" he hissed, trying to push himself back up.

Nova seized the opportunity. With a flash, he was behind X’lat, blade drawn, ready to take him down.

But before his strike could land, something collided with him from the side. Betty. Her parasol snapped open in mid-air and sent him spiraling into the rubble.

"Tsk tsk. I told you not to interrupt, Nova. This is important business. Can’t have you ruining the ending, now can we?"

Betty giggled, brushing imaginary dust off her stolen dancer garb.

Across the field, Anna gritted her teeth and unleashed a volley of compressed aether bolts.

They screamed toward Betty and X’lat—but they shattered harmlessly against another dome-like shield that flickered to life.

"Cowards!"

Anna spat, raising her gun again.

Betty smiled sweetly, eyes glowing with mischief.

"Now, now. I’ll give you all your big dramatic battle one day, I promise. Just not today."

Nova had recovered and charged again, but Betty kicked off the ground, flipped in mid-air, and grabbed X’lat by the collar.

"We’re done here. Let’s go, genius."

X’lat didn’t argue. With his expression still blank, he activated the beacon at his wrist.

A blinding light surged through the cave, and the ship cloaked in distortion fields revealed itself briefly before its bay doors hissed open.

By the time Nova and Malrik shattered the barrier, stumbling forward in fury, the ship had already lifted off, vanishing into the upper tunnels with the core of reason in tow.

"They’re gone."

Nova muttered.

"Those damn cowards! We had them!"

Malrik slammed his fist against the rock wall, the force causing it to crack.

Nyx’s voice filtered through Nova’s earpiece.

"Signal’s back. As soon as they left the planet’s vicinity, all interference vanished."

Nova nodded grimly.

"They’re strong. Too strong for a pair acting alone. Someone’s backing them. Someone powerful enough to twist the laws of aether like that."

Anna moved beside him, expression hard and cold.

"Then we go after them."

"Later. For now, we have other problems."

Nova said, scanning the cave’s trembling walls.

Malrik’s face was still contorted with frustration. His fists were clenched, his eyes tracking the sky as if sheer will could drag the ship back down.

"I swear...next time I see them, I’m ripping their world apart.

He said, voice like molten iron.

His legs gave out. The toll of the false god’s power—still raw and wild in his veins—dragged him to the ground.

A deep quake rocked the earth, echoing through the ruined caverns like the planet itself was crying out.

Nova rushed over and caught Malrik before he could collapse fully.

"Save it. We’re not done here yet."

Nova growled.

"You said it yourself. With the core gone, Callex’s divine balance should’ve collapsed. The monsters are weaker. We finish this now."

Anna added.

Nova nodded.

"While we still have the edge."

He looked down at Malrik, whose breath was heavy but steady.

"Can you move?"

Malrik wiped the blood from his mouth and gave a grim smile.

"Try and stop me."

With Anna covering the rear, the trio made their way back through the fractured tunnels, dodging falling debris and navigating through the cracks spreading through the once-sacred mountain.

Outside, the world had changed.

The sky, once awash in unnatural divine hues, had dimmed. The oppressive weight in the air had lifted.

Where the monsters once rampaged, now their movements were sluggish, uncoordinated.

Even Queen Gorgon’s monstrous form in the distance was stumbling, her divine madness no longer sustained.

Nova took a long breath, eyes locked on the horizon.

"Now’s our chance."

Anna pulled her weapon from her back.

"Let’s bring this madness to an end."

Malrik stumbled again.

His shoulder slammed into the tunnel wall, leaving a smear of blood across the jagged stone.

He didn’t cry out, didn’t grunt. Just clenched his jaw and kept walking, one foot dragging behind the other like it weighed twice as much now.

Nova didn’t slow down.

Anna did.

"Nova...He’s not gonna make it like this."

She said, glancing back.

Nova kept moving for a few more steps before stopping. Dust fell around him as the old cavern trembled again—another aftershock from the divine core’s theft.

He turned his head slightly, just enough to see Malrik’s silhouette swaying behind Anna like a puppet on frayed strings.

Malrik’s eyes were unfocused, breath shallow. His skin glowed faintly where Betty’s light had entered him, veins lit with something divine and volatile.

He had collapsed twice already, and both times, he’d gotten up without a word. Sheer will was the only thing carrying him forward now.

Anna caught up to Nova, her voice low.

"We should carry him."

"No."

"What? Why—?"

"He’s not dead. He’s just stubborn."

Nova looked back fully now, watching as Malrik took another stumbling step forward.

Anna narrowed her eyes.

"And if he passes out again?"

"Then he passes out. But I do like his stubborness. I guess I will give him a chance."

A few seconds passed in silence. Then Nova stepped toward Malrik.

He met him in the middle of the path, eyes sharp, unreadable. Malrik barely looked up.

"You won’t make it at this rate. You know that."

Nova said quietly.

Malrik’s lips curled faintly.

"I didn’t ask for a rescue."

"I’m not offering one. I’m giving you a choice."

Nova replied.

Malrik blinked slowly.

"You can keep crawling, or you can ask for my help. But if I help you, you won’t be free. You’ll be mine."

Nova said, voice steady.

Anna tensed behind them.

Malrik exhaled, shoulders sagging.

"Yours?"

Nova didn’t flinch.

"My servant. Bound by contract. I’ll carry you back. I’ll stabilize your body. But you’ll follow me and Anna wherever we go, even when we leave this planet. No turning back."

He let the words hang for a moment before continuing.

"You’ll have time to say your goodbyes. Maybe even finish whatever business you think still matters here. But when it’s time, you leave with us. No hesitation. No complaints."

Nova said.

Malrik didn’t speak.

He looked down at his hands—trembling, bloodstained, dimly lit from within.

Then up at Nova. That same fire still burned behind his exhausted eyes, dimmed but not gone.

Anna stepped forward, hesitant.

"Malrik—"

"I’m not weak."

He muttered.

"No one said you were."

She replied.

"I can walk."

"Then do it. Or say the words and I’ll take care of the rest."

Nova said simply.

Malrik swayed again, knees buckling. He dropped to one knee, panting.

Silence followed.

Then, hoarse and bitter.

"Tch... Damn it. I never expected I would meet my end like this."

Nova waited.

"I need to do this one on my own."

Malrik growled.

Nova crouched beside him.

"Then crawl."

Malrik glared up at him. Then, slowly, he leaned forward until his forehead pressed to the earth. This was the moment he realized he was helpless.

But the fire of rage inside him kept burning and his words escaped without his notice.