With a sudden surge of energy, he pushed her back, forcing Amaterasu to retreat a few steps. Her expression hardened, the brief flicker of surprise replaced by a menacing smirk.

Kouta, still clutching his grandfather’s limp body, froze in disbelief. "Grandpa... how?" he whispered, his voice trembling as he tried to make sense of what he was witnessing.

Yüsēi’s body stirred faintly, his hand twitching as a soft, golden light began to emanate from his chest. Amaterasu’s smirk faltered slightly as she sensed the shift in energy.

“What… what is this?” she muttered, her crimson energy flaring in response to the unfamiliar power.

The golden light intensified, enveloping Yüsēi in a cocoon of radiant energy. His frail frame seemed to stretch and strengthen, wrinkles smoothing out and his muscles reforming. The brittle aura of age and weariness dissipated, replaced by an overwhelming vitality that roared to life like a sleeping dragon awakened.

“You wanted to see who I truly am?” Yüsēi’s voice echoed, now deeper and commanding. The cocoon shattered in a brilliant explosion of light, revealing the legendary warrior the galaxy had long whispered about. His silver hair flowed like molten starlight, his eyes burning with an ethereal intensity. The torn and ragged clothes of his aged form disintegrated as his rejuvenated body emerged, pulsing with ancient power.

Amaterasu tilted her head, her crimson aura flaring. "So, the old legend is true," she murmured, more to herself than to anyone else. "The Starlight Hero still burns within you. But it won’t be enough."

Kouta’s breath hitched as he stared at the transformed figure. “Grandpa… you…”

Yüsēi turned his gaze toward Kouta, a faint smile playing on his lips. “I’ve waited years for this moment. I preserved my lifeforce, sealing away my true power to protect you when the time came. And now… that time has come.”

Amaterasu’s lips curled into a sneer, though her eyes betrayed a flicker of unease. “So, the ‘legendary hero’ lives up to the myth. Good. This will make crushing you all the more satisfying.”

Yüsēi’s smile widened as he cracked his knuckles, his aura blazing like a supernova. “Let’s see if your bite matches your bark.”

The two warriors collided with a force that shattered the ground beneath them, sending shockwaves rippling outward. Energy beams clashed mid-air, exploding into dazzling displays of light that illuminated the chaos. Their movements were a blur, each strike faster and more precise than the last. Amaterasu’s crimson energy roared like wildfire, but Yüsēi’s golden power surged with a calm, unyielding strength.

Kouta watched in stunned silence, his mind a whirlwind of emotions. The truths he had learned, the lies he had lived—it was too much. His hands clenched the dirt beneath him as memories of his seemingly ordinary life flashed before his eyes.

Find this and other great novels on the author's preferred platform. Support original creators!

“All a lie,” he muttered, his voice shaking. “Everything I’ve ever known… was a lie.”

Yumi-Chan crawled to his side, her face pale but determined. “Kouta! You need to focus. We have to get out of here!”

Kouta shook his head violently, tears streaming down his face. “No! I can’t leave him! He’s fighting because of me! And I… I can’t do anything!”

Yumi-Chan’s hand gripped his shoulder tightly. “You’re stronger than this, Kouta! He’s doing this to protect you because he believes in you! Don’t let his sacrifice be in vain!”

As her words reached him, a deep, guttural roar tore from Kouta’s throat. A searing pain erupted in his chest, spreading through his body like wildfire. His eyes burned with an intense crimson glow, and his veins darkened as if filled with molten lava. The air around him grew thick with a malevolent energy, suffocating and electric.

Moon Moon and Himari Starbeam, were helping the others to safety, when they stopped in their tracks as the oppressive aura washed over them.

“Uh, guys?” Moon Moon said, her voice trembling. “I think that boy’s having a moment… and not a good one.”

Himari’s eyes widened as she saw Kouta’s body begin to transform. His small frame grew taller and more muscular, his hair darkening and lengthening into a wild mane. The demonic energy surrounding him twisted into jagged, flaming tendrils that lashed out uncontrollably.

“Oh, no,” Himari muttered. “He’s going full… whatever-that-is.”

Yüsēi’s attention flickered toward his grandson as he dodged a ferocious attack from Amaterasu. “Kouta, no!” he shouted, his voice laced with urgency.

But Kouta could no longer hear him. His mind was consumed by rage, betrayal, and an overwhelming desire to protect the few fragments of his shattered world. The ground beneath him cracked as he let out another roar, his transformation nearing completion.

Amaterasu’s eyes lit up with wicked delight. “So, the heir awakens at last. This is what I’ve been waiting for.”

Yüsēi’s expression hardened. “You won’t have him,” he growled, his energy flaring. “Not while I’m still standing.”

The battle resumed with renewed intensity. Amaterasu’s attacks grew more desperate as Yüsēi matched her blow for blow, his rejuvenated strength a force to be reckoned with. But even as they clashed, his gaze kept darting back to Kouta, whose transformation was now complete.

Moon Moon and Himari Starbeam huddled behind a fallen column, their wide eyes fixed on the chaos unfolding before them.

"This is bad," Himari muttered. "Really, REALLY bad."

"You think?" Moon Moon snapped, her voice high-pitched with panic. "We’re in the middle of a galactic death match, and now the kid’s gone full demon!"

Kouta stood amidst the rubble, unrecognizable. His eyes glowed with a fierce crimson light, his body surrounded by an aura of pure demonic energy. The ground around him was scorched, the air vibrating with his unrestrained power. He raised his head, his gaze locking onto Amaterasu with a feral intensity.

“You,” he growled, his voice deeper and laced with otherworldly distortion. “You did this.”

Amaterasu chuckled, her attention briefly shifting to the transformed boy. “Finally, the heir reveals his true nature. How delightful.”

Kouta’s lips curled into a snarl as he charged toward her, the ground trembling with each step. His movements were erratic but devastating, his newfound power making him unpredictable. Yüsēi moved to intercept, blocking his path.

“Kouta, stop!” Yüsēi shouted, holding his grandson back with all his strength. “You’re losing yourself!”

But Kouta’s rage was unrelenting. He shoved Yüsēi aside with a force that sent him skidding across the ground. His eyes were locked onto Amaterasu, his every fiber consumed by a single thought: destroy.

The battlefield stood frozen, a tense silence descending as everyone braced for the storm to come.