''How the hell is he still alive?''

The moment the Third Art detonated, what followed went beyond what you'd call an explosion. The force of the shock was so big that every kind dimension imaginable instantly collapsed; time, space, matter, gravity… Everything was falling apart.

Arima first felt a sudden and unbearable heat before his vision began to twist. The horizon tilted and distorted. The colors disappeared and the world became black and white. Sounds of earthquakes resounded; explosions caused by leaking-mana, burning wood, melting stone…

Arima had already lost all points of reference. He was in the middle of an unimaginable mayhem. The fire had transcended and become an unknown energy of mass-destruction. He couldn't see the three Guardians that were in front of him just before. The only thing he could think about was resisting the power of his own magic along with Aeshma. But he was bound to be killed if he continued like that.

He used Natus to its maximum capacity, not even caring about the state of his eyes. Blood flowed down not only from the corner of his eyes but also his nose and even his mouth. The devastating pressure caused by 'Fragor Magnus' was unfathomable although he was the one at the origin of it.

Arima's eyes moved from one side to the other very quickly. His glowing eyes spotted his target and he forced his wings to move. The surroundings felt like a thick liquid. You could compare it to lava, and the more Arima tried to move inside of it, the more painful and hard it was.

"{Time is dysfunctional in here. You are moving while trying to push unstable molecules which are semi-frozen in time,}" Krynox said and Arima groaned.

"{I know,}" he couldn't open his mouth to talk so he used telepathy. "{Shit, if I take too much time, not only will that 'Sage' dissolve before I can reach him but I'll also die soon enough,}" he uttered and tried to create a path for himself with the help of Aeshma and his new twin guns. But it was to no avail.

"{Dammit! The only Art I have capable of doing damages on a molecular level while also being able to resist Fragor Magnus' power is the First Destruction Art. But if I use it, there are chances that I will also erase that guy in the process. From what I know, I don't think he will actually be killed but his body will temporarily be reduced to nothing to be reconstructed afterward. But I need his heart in a physical state or else it would be useless.}"

"{What about the Lawless Tome… oh.}"

"{Yeah, I can't use it since Lanya is using it right now.}"

"{There are two other Arts that could help you.}"

"{No. I won't use them. Both of them are way too hazardous right now. And the First Forbidden Art is way too complex for me to use it this way.}

Arima was still trying to advance while talking to Krynox. Although he was using all of his strength, he only managed to push through for a few meters. But considering that he was trying to go against molecules restrained by time, it was like he had managed to push an entire Plane and all of the planets and stars inside. That showed how much Arima's might had transcended all rules.

"{I have no choice. I'll use the whole Red Set,}" Arima declared and channeled an endless amount of mana on five formations that formed around him.

"{…If your head explodes, I'll die with you, you know?}"

"{I'm aware. I'll do my best to no drag you down with me,}" Arima replied indifferently. He was already too focused on his magic. He forced his mouth to open and deliver his voice while his aura was released at its maximum output.

"[Fifth Red Art, Exhaurire] (Drain)," he chanted and every single bit of worldly energy remaining in that world converged toward him.

"[Fourth Red Art, Nativus Dominare] (Elemental Rule)," the elements around him became as obedient as a little pet.

"[Third Red Art, Semita Vitisque Repertor] (Pathfinder)." The Third Red Art originally could make every matter around the caster help him move and evade. Molecules are included even though it was limited because of their unstable state.

"[Second Red Art, Scientia est misi Cesarem] (The Alchemist's Science)." Arima conjured this art to alter anything he encounters and make them more fragile and smaller.

"[First Red Art, Ragnarök]," finally, Arima cast this art which had to be applied across the entire surface of Heaven. Which meant he had to give enough mana but also enough spirit to spread the magic over a surface at the size of a plane.

When Arima finished the activation of his Arts, it became easier for him to progress. But at the same time, his body and soul were slowly being eroded because the five godly magics' tolls, when used together, were immense.

Arima couldn't waste any more time. Natus was being overstressed and his eyes were bloodshot. His scales were cracking. His muscles contracted and most of his bones fissured. He flapped his wings and dashed inside the endless 'explosion'.

He checked his surroundings as he neared the 'Sage's body which was melting and regenerating indefinitely. The individual in question had lost consciousness because of the pain. Heaven's ground had become something between solid and liquid and looked like slime mixed with ashes. He saw that the Second Plane Guardian was already dead but he couldn't spot Ellen's aura or figure at all.

"{Where is she? She couldn't have died already…}" Arima doubted but he couldn't stop at this point. He reached the Third Guardian and grabbed him. In his Ancient Demon form, the 'Sage' was like a small animal that he could crush with a single hand.

Almost immediately, Arima managed to form a very small and unstable gate to his soul realm and sent him inside while also using Natus to put him in stasis.

The reason why Arima didn't go inside his soul realm himself was that a soul's location is a very complicated theory. Technically, whenever he goes inside his soul, he basically goes inside himself. In that case, his physical body may be able to enter the soul realm but something more crucial will be left behind. Most of the time, it's in the form of a gate or a sort of beacon.

That gate/beacon represents him. If it's destroyed, Arima will die. There's no way he could use it in this place.

As he was about to go at full speed to leave the Plane, he shivered and a great pain was transmitted to his brain. He coughed blood and looked down with a darkened face. There was a giant diamond-like spike piercing his chest, making him lose rivers' worth of blood.

***

As Layla was fighting the Téras with a cold and calm expression, that countenance was suddenly disrupted. She looked back at the last Silver Gate that was open and a trace of worry flashed in her eyes.

***

Because Arima had used the Third Red Art, all of his physical and magic defenses had been reduced to zero and additionally, his senses were being blurred because of what was happening around him. That's why he had not been able to do anything as that thing created a hole in his body.

When the spike was pulled out, Arima staggered and saw his own guts spilling out. That was the first time he had ever been so injured in his entire life. His clothes that were enchanted and bound to his soul were already doing their best to heal him. He himself didn't hesitate and used the Fifth White Art to heal himself.

With a groan, he turned around and saw two dark golden eyes glaring at him. Ellen's body was nothing resembling a human anymore but her eyes could still cause Arima to be slightly charmed and intimidated. Her arm was extended toward him, unmoving.

"{This girl… she died the moment she used that attack on you,}" Krynox admired but Arima couldn't respond. He was gasping for breath. His heart had been destroyed and it would take him days to recover. In normal times, it would have meant nothing for him but the magic of that woman infiltrated his body like a parasite and weakened every aspect of it.

"...fu...ck," Arima coughed again. He used his last bit of consciousness to absorb the life force of both Ellen and the Second Plane Guardian. His power once again ascended to heights he couldn't determinate but that couldn't help him at all to survive his injury.

He exploited that new strength boost to dash toward the borders of Heaven. His speed reached unmeasurable values. He made his way through 'Fragor Magnus' and arrived at the end of Heaven.

There was a tremendous wall that reached the skies. Arima couldn't care less about the artifacts and materials present on that wall that could withstand thousands of transcendentals at once and punched it once before it collapsed.

Once he was on the other side, something strange occurred. He felt as if the Laws had disappeared. His senses blacked out he couldn't even feel any kind of worldly energy. He stayed in that unknown place for a second before he opened his eyes again.

He was lying down in the Heaven of another Plane. He also had reverted to his human form. He grunted and slowly stood up. There was a giant hole in his chest that was only hidden by the blood-stained clothes.

He opened his trembling mouth. "Akoman…" He called and the Evil Spirit came out. He went inside his master's head and took control of him temporarily.

Arima's pupils vanished and his eyes turned into two dots of red light. Akoman, who had taken over, knew what his master wanted him to do. He couldn't feel the pain of the injury so he was able to use the emerald star to transfer to another Plane.

He reappeared on a planet covered with vegetation. He tried to walk and realized that his body was weaker than he expected. Akoman released his aura and a silhouette who was leisurely gazing at the stars was jolted. He hurriedly teleported and appeared in front of Akoman.

"Hey, did you finish….?!" Flavio was acting lazily and casually at first. But when he saw Arima's eyes, he closed his mouth and raised his guard. He then saw the blood on his clothes and the large hole in his chest. His eyes shook and he didn't know what to do until Akoman spoke.

"My Lord made a request. He wants you to perform the surgery immediately. He said it should be easier now that there's a direct path to his insides."

Flavio's expression twitched when heard Arima's joke transmitted through Akoman's emotionless voice.

"…Where is the heart?"

Akoman opened a gate leading to Arima's soul realm and went inside. Flavio followed silently. When he stepped inside, he couldn't help but drop his jaw at the scenery. Akoman didn't seem to care about the beauty of this place at all and just walked toward a young man sleeping on the ground

Akoman placed his hand on the man's body and a pentagram was drawn. It lasted for a few seconds then Akoman ruthlessly pierced the 'Sage's chest with his hand and pulled out the beating heart from his ribcage. He wordlessly handed the bloodied and white-colored organ to Flavio afterward.

"My Lord said to do it quickly or otherwise, this heart will lose its potential."

Flavio sighed exaggeratedly and grabbed the heart. "Lie down," he instructed and revealed many surgery tools hidden inside his coat. Akoman nodded and collapsed on the ground. Arima's mind had been vacated.

Flavio was speechless. "Who told you to collapse?" He muttered and crouched beside Arima. He quickly examined him. He furrowed his eyebrows when he realized that he was seriously lacking in blood and his heart had been smashed as well.

All of his muscles were exhausted, most of his other vital organs were dying one after another, and even his immune system had stopped functioning. Normally, that shouldn't happen to someone like him, but there was a sort of diamond-colored poison and parasite invading his body.

In the end, God or not, Ancient Demon or not, one couldn't escape from fatal internal injuries and toxins.

"How the hell is he still alive? And what did he fought to end up like this? Even if I were to perform all the healing and repairing magic I know, he would still die in at most an hour…" Flavio glanced at the heart in his hand. "So, that's his last hope, huh?" He mumbled and sighed.

He first used his ability to reform at least half of the flesh that had been lost because of Ellen's last attack. He couldn't restore every single organ since it would take too much time but he was compelled when it concerned the heart.

The surgery he was about to perform was about connecting two hearts together so that they could perform the cardiac cycle at the same time. It was a dangerous operation because Flavio had to move most of the organs out of their original place to welcome the second heart. But since Arima had already lost all of them, it was indeed easier.

"But the last result will be decided by fate…" Flavio spent thirty minutes restoring the heart then twenty minutes to connect it to the one he had received from Akoman. The moment he connected the artificial vessels he had made for the white heart, the rib cage suddenly closed as the bones grew back.

Flavio backed out urgently then observed as the two hearts began to pump the blood together. At that exact moment, Arima opened his eyes and assimilated the new organ. The white heart started glowing strongly.

The link it had with the 'Sage' was broken and the Third Guardian finally died. Arima collected his life force then opened his mouth to chant a magic.

"[Third Forbidden Art, Essentia Dominus] (Essence Domination)."

A pillar of white and black light fell from the sky and shrouded Arima. In the latter's chest, the heart he had on the left side, the one he had since birth, slowly changed color and became black. It emitted a sort of darkish red glow.

In the middle of the pillar, Arima stood up and his four pupils were narrowed to the limit. His chest regenerated at an unbelievable speed and if you looked close enough, you would see that his blood was going through some changes as well.

It only took a few seconds for the horrifying injury to disappear without a trace. Arima opened his mouth and a roar resounded in the entire Reality as if he was in his 'Ancient Demon' form. Flavio covered his ears and scowled. Then, the light spread and bathed the entire Plane.