The air in Baltimore crackled with energy, the remains of shattered buildings still burning, and the faint screams of terrified civilians echoed in the distance. Sudarshana, blood pumping with the rush of recent battles, stood amidst the chaos. Her eyes scanned the horizon, searching for the next wave of horrors—until the very narrative itself stopped.

Time—no, existence—halted. Sudarshana’s breath caught as the sky shimmered and folded in on itself, and from that ethereal fold emerged a figure she hadn’t seen in countless epochs.

Estinien Majestas Crownsblade, her brother.

Majestas’s presence was overwhelming, his mere arrival twisting the cosmos around him. He was impeccably dressed, his golden and black suit woven with cosmic threads that shimmered as though entire galaxies pulsed within the fabric. The intricate details of his suit were a masterpiece of celestial design, embroidered with patterns that looked as though the stars themselves were etched into his clothing. His bald head reflected the swirling nebulae of the omniverse, and his eyes—cold, calculating, yet warm with sibling affection—seemed to hold the weight of googolplex realities.

Sudarshana stared at him, awe momentarily eclipsing her battle-hardened edge. Majestas’s aura was not one of mere dominance—it was the essence of cosmic authority, as though he had ascended beyond even the highest layers of the Omniverse. He was not just a being of unimaginable power; he was the transcendent crown of all existence.

With an almost casual grace, he folded his arms and smiled.

"Majestas..." Sudarshana's voice wavered, her disbelief tangible. "Where have you been?"

Majestas tilted his head slightly, the light of countless stars reflecting in his eyes. “I’ve been watching, sister.”

Before she could respond, the sky shifted, and in an instant, Sudarshana found herself recapping everything that had happened since the chaos began. The story of the monsters, her battle against them, the seals her mother placed upon her—everything from Chapter 1 till now flowed effortlessly from her, as if the narrative itself was compelled to reveal the truth in Majestas’s presence.

Majestas listened patiently, his calm demeanor never wavering. When she finished, he chuckled, a deep, resonating sound that seemed to ripple through the very fabric of the cosmos.

“You’ve done well, Sudarshana. But you’ve been... shackled.”

Before she could process what he meant, Majestas’s hand shot out like a bolt of pure cosmic energy, his fist connecting with Sudarshana's chest. The impact was beyond words—beyond all existence. She was sent flying back, crashing through the Omniverse itself, her body shattering countless realities and dimensions as she tumbled through the beyond. Each seal, every curse, and restraint placed on her by their mother splintered and dissolved in that one, brutal punch.

Her body erupted with untapped power, the full force of her abilities unleashed in a torrent of chaotic magic that danced around her, reforming the space around her as she righted herself.

With a snarl, she flew at Majestas, anger in her eyes until the realization hit her. The seals, the bonds—they were gone. She could feel the full extent of her power again. Her expression softened, and a sly smile curled her lips.

“You could’ve just asked, Majestas.”

With a playful gleam in her eyes, Sudarshana kicked her brother with a force that shattered the Omniverse once again, their power warping reality around them. Her kick didn’t damage him, but the sheer force sent ripples through the cosmos, rearranging entire narratives as though they were nothing more than pages in a book.

Majestas stood, brushing the dust from his suit, his grin never fading. “You’re welcome.”

The two stood in the midst of the fractured Omniverse, cosmic siblings born of unimaginable power, yet tied by the unbreakable bond of blood.

“You’re not staying, are you?” Sudarshana asked, her tone half-serious, half-playful.

Majestas shook his head. “I have my own path to walk, Sudarshana. But I’ll be back. After all…” He glanced over his shoulder as a faint shimmer in the sky began to take form. “Family looks out for one another.”

From the void beyond, an ethereal staircase began to descend. It was made of pure cosmic light, each step a ripple in the fabric of reality itself. Majestas stepped toward it, his movements graceful, yet powerful. As he began his ascent, the staircase seemed to absorb him, each step carrying him further beyond what Sudarshana could see—further than any existence she could imagine.

He stopped just once, turning back to offer her a knowing smile before fading into the ethereal.

Sudarshana watched him disappear into the void, a soft smile tugging at the corner of her lips. Her mind was racing with the possibilities—she was free again, her power restored. And for the first time since the monsters had appeared, she felt a glimmer of hope.

But just as the weight of the moment began to settle, the air grew cold. The darkness thickened. And there, emerging from the folds of unreality itself, stood Nitocris.

Her arrival was a tear in the very essence of everything Sudarshana had just fought for. Nitocris’s presence was suffocating, her gaze cold and cruel, ready to undo all that had been done.

“Did you think this was over?” Nitocris’s voice was a whisper, yet it echoed through every possible dimension.

Sudarshana’s fists clenched, her magic crackling around her in defiance.

This fight, it seemed, was far from finished.