In the present time, Kayle and Tomi stand across from each other on a rising platform, ascending steadily toward the grand stage. Tomi gazes at Kayle, before finally speaking. "I never thought you would turn out like this when I first found you on that beach."
Kayle exhales, his eyes distant as memories flood his mind. "Yeah… I barely made it out alive and finally got the life I wanted—the peaceful life of freedom. But every night was the worst. I kept reliving my past life through my dreams. I thought that as time passed, I'd grow numb to it… but it never got better."
The platform reaches its destination, carrying them onto a grand stage at the center of the commoner city. Before them, the 99 Stars stand in formation, their presence commanding. Surrounding the stage, tens of thousands of commoners fill the streets, their voices rising in waves of celebration and cheer, their energy electrifying the air.
Tomi's eyes narrow as he steps closer to Kayle. "Well, since you couldn't beat your inner demons, internally, now you'll have to face them in reality."
Kayle clenches her fists, her voice steady but laced with conviction. "I never thought revenge was the way to go… but every part of my soul is swaying in that direction. The direction to prove to all the nobles—and the entire universe—that a low-level mortal can still win the Star Games. And mostly… because my brother will be joining the game. And my father will be watching closely."
With determination burning in their eyes, they step forward, moving toward the massive crowd. Tomi takes hold of the microphone, his voice booming across the city. "Never before in history have the commoners worked as a team. But today, we change that. We are the commoners, yet we can adapt just like the nobles! With my past Star experiences and our ex-noble, Kayle, by our side, we are here to strive for victory!"
The city erupts into deafening cheers, the 99 Stars jumping with excitement, their energy igniting the crowd into a frenzy.
Kayle takes the mic next, her gaze scanning the thousands before her. "As we discussed before, we are not like the nobles. You are not pawns meant to sacrifice your lives for us. Me and Tomi… we are not looking to win the Star Games at all. As long as the winner is a commoner of Isha, that's all that matters. Any one of you could claim victory—with our help!"
The cheering grows louder, shaking the air with a collective roar of defiance and unity. As the cheering continues, Kayle lifts her gaze, locking onto the floating city of Oasis that is among the clouds above. All of her emotions can be seen in her burning eyes as Oasis reflects from it. The feeling of sadness, angry, revenge, freedom, and redemption all at once portraying through her beautiful eyes.
Meanwhile, deep within the Slums, inside the Boa Building, Boa sits in his dimly lit room, staring at his robotic fingers. He flexes them slowly, his gaze falling to his palm. As he looks at it, memories flood his mind—reminding him. The same way he once stared at his bloodied palms back in prison.
In his mind, he is back in that cold, merciless cell. The doors slide open with a metallic hiss, and chaos erupts. Prisoners surge toward him like a pack of starving wolves, but Boa fights his way through, his fists crashing into flesh and bone. The sound of brutal impacts echoes as he beats down one opponent after another. His breathing is heavy, his knuckles raw, his body drenched in blood—both his own and his enemies'.
A circle forms around him in the cafeteria, dozens of prisoners lying battered on the ground. Boa grabs one man by the throat, lifting him effortlessly. His grip tightens, his instincts screaming for him to finish the job—to break the man beyond repair. But then… he stops and drops the prisoner.
Footsteps then echoes through the prison. A presence so commanding that all the other prisoners instantly drop to their knees. Crank enters, his cold gaze locking onto Boa. A smirk tugs at the corner of his lips.
"You're different from the others," Crank muses, stepping closer. "Most of them would kill just to survive, yet you hold back. Why?"
Boa spits out a mouthful of blood, his eyes burning with defiance. "Because they don't deserve a death like this—not when their lives are already filled with suffering. And because…" He pauses, his voice unwavering. "I'm a man of honor."
Crank lets out a dark chuckle, shaking his head. "Honor? Down here, there is no such thing. You're just an ex-pawn that every single person in this prison hates."
Without another word, Crank suddenly lunges, and the prisoners, once cowering, charge at Boa with animalistic rage. Boa roars, his instincts taking over as he meets them head-on.
The fight rages on, the prison floor stained with blood and littered with unconscious bodies. Boa delivers a devastating punch straight into Crank's chest, the sheer force sending him crashing into a group of prisoners behind him. The impact is enough to make the others flinch in fear as they hesitate, their confidence shattered. Boa stands tall, his breathing heavy but his will unbroken.
Crank coughs up blood, but instead of anger, a grin spreads across his face. "You're a monster, Boa," he says, his voice laced with both admiration and pain. "Yet even with all that strength, you hold back. You're true to your words. Maybe... just maybe, your 'honor' might actually change everything in this hellhole."
Boa meets Crank's gaze, his eyes filled with defiance. "Enough nonsense. Save your strength for the mines. I'd rather die there than waste my life fighting here."
Crank lets out a low chuckle, wiping the blood from his mouth. "Well then... looks like we have a common enemy. Welcome to the family."
Not long after, Boa and Crank are sent to the mines, working tirelessly, breaking through rocks and stones with worn pickaxes. The air is thick with dust, and the weight of their shackles slows them down, but it doesn't break them. As they dig, they encounter Data Creatures, strange beings that are corrupted by data consumption. Some are mindless, others are ruthless predators, but they fight together—Boa, Crank, and the rest of the prisoners—each battle forging an unspoken bond between them.
With officer Hank leading the group of prisoners, they push deeper into the mines, taking on stronger and stronger creatures. Every battle won is a lesson, every struggle a test of survival. And slowly, something unexpected happens—honor, the very thing that was once mocked in this place, begins to take root among the prisoners.
Later, after another brutal day in the mines, Boa sits in his cell, staring at his hands once again—hands that once held nothing but chains but now held something far greater: purpose.
A sudden knock on the iron door snaps him out of his thoughts.
"You got a visitor," Hank says from the other side.
Boa turns toward the door, and his expression immediately shifts as he sees the one person he least expected—Gilga.
Blind rage takes over. Boa lunges forward, fists clenched, but before he can reach him, Gilga steps back, unfazed. "And this… is the fool who ruined my future," Gilga mutters, looking at Boa with a mixture of amusement and irritation. "I hear you've been doing well for yourself in here."
"Are you here to finish me off?!" Boa growls, his voice filled with rage.
Gilga smirks, shaking his head. "Your actions forced me to drop out of the 108th Star Game. Believe me, I would love nothing more than to watch you suffer a slow, miserable death. But…" He pauses, his expression growing distant. "The voice of 'God' in my head demands something else. Ever since our fight, your word—'honor'—has been stuck in my head like a curse. I guess you could say… you changed me."
Boa narrows his eyes, not fully trusting him. "What are you saying?"
Gilga sighs, placing his hands behind his back. "I've rigged the prison's credit system. If you keep working at your pace, you'll be free in about seven to eight years."
Boa's anger wavers, replaced by confusion. "Why are you doing this?"
Gilga grins. "I want to face you again. But not like this—not as a broken man in chains. I want you at your peak. You and I, the 110th Star Games. If we push ourselves beyond our limits, we can reach a higher mortal level… and I want to see which one of us stands at the top."
With those final words, Gilga turns and walks away, leaving Boa standing in silence.
The flashback fades. Boa takes a deep breath, steadying himself. "The time is now." His fingers curl into fists as determination floods through his veins. "After all… this is what you wanted. But there's more to achieve than just our duel."
He steps out of his room, and his entire team bows before him, waiting for his command.
Meanwhile, in Oasis, atop Frostsilver Tower, Gaia, Ortis, and Rose stand at the center as their 100 pawns stand in formation before them. Gaia glances toward the other noble towers, where the other nobles are positioned with their own pawn teams. Her gaze then shifts to a countdown screen on a nearby tower.
"One minute left," she mutters, watching as the final moments before the 110th Star Game tick away.
Meanwhile, in Black Paradise, Nox sits in his chamber, watching as the countdown reaches zero across multiple digital screens. A smirk forms on his face as he speaks.
"The nobles of Isha hold most of the control over the Star Portals, allowing them to decide their placements. They've positioned one in the slums, another in the common city, and the rest within the Oasis."
The screens shift, displaying different locations. One screen shows the slums, where Boa and 15,000 other slummers rush into the Star Portal that has appeared beneath the countdown tower. Another screen reveals the commoner city, where a portal opens beneath the tower, and Kayle and Tomi lead their team through it. On yet another screen, the nobles and their pawn teams step into the various Star Portals scattered throughout the Oasis.
Nox's grin widens. "Project Universe may commence."
A mechanical voice chimes in—Susan's AI system. "As you command, King Nox. Gathering previous and current Star Portal dust."
On a branch of the Universal Tree, a portal bursts open as Boa and 15,000 slummers emerges. Boa stands firm behind his 200 Members of Honor, his presence unwavering. Crank and Jen stand beside him, their confidence matching his own.
Another portal shimmers into existence as Kayle and Tomi lead their team through, their eyes widening as they take in the countless far away stars across space and the radiant platform beneath their feet.
"We are on the Universal Tree," Tomi says, his voice filled with awe. "A tree that connects all planets."
Their gazes lift toward the colossal Universal Tree, its trunk stretching endlessly into the cosmos. Another portal swirls open, and the nobles and their pawn teams step onto the platform. Among them, two teams immediately stand out—Team Gaia, now strengthened by Ortis and Rose, and Team Gilga, where Lars has joined forces with Gilga.
Ortis and Rose exchange glances, their eyes widening at the sight of Gilga and Lars standing side by side, their powerful pawn teams assembled behind them.
"Their team isn't the only threat," Gaia mutters, her tone sharp. "This year's Star Game is far different from the rest."
Their attention shifts as Boa and his team stand their ground, unwavering. Boa and Gilga lock eyes, their stares burning with intensity.
Gaia's expression hardens. "The slummers and commoners have formed their own teams, just like us nobles."
Nearby, Kayle's gaze fixes on Lars with the same fierce intensity—but Lars, unfazed, doesn't even notice her.
Suddenly, countless mini-portals ripple open across the vast expanse of space, and one by one, massive spaceships emerge. Each ship belongs to a noble family, carrying their respective heads.
Aboard the Frostsilver spaceship, Terra beams with excitement, cheering loudly for her daughter, Gaia. Meanwhile, on the Platinumgrey spaceship, Zion stands tall, watching his son, Lars, with unwavering respect.
Without warning, a colossal portal begins to form, its slow emergence sending a wave of shock through the gathered Star contestants.
Ortis narrows his eyes. "What portal is that from?"
Rose studies it carefully before replying. "If it's appearing here, then it must be from Isha."
Gaia's stare sharpens, unease creeping into her voice. "This has never happened before... What is this?"
Even the noble heads aboard their ships are taken aback, though among them, Terra only laughs joyfully.
Zion, however, leans forward, his eyes gleaming with intrigue. "So you've finally decided to show yourself. I never expected it to join the Star Games."
As the mysterious portal fully unfurls, it shows Black Paradise from within.
Then, stepping through with an air of absolute dominance, Nox emerges. His black mask conceals his face, and atop his head sits a sleek, obsidian crown. His steps are slow, deliberate, exuding unwavering confidence as the portal behind him seals shut.
Boa and Crank's eyes widen in disbelief. Crank's breath catches as he stammers, "It's him!"
Without hesitation, Nox reaches up, removing his mask with a smirk. "Your King has arrived."
Tomi clenches his fists, his expression growing tense. "Oh god… This Star Game just got a whole lot harder with all these powerhouses, by far Isha's best stars, even greater than previous stars from past Star games."
Suddenly, a voice, booming and divine, echoes throughout the vast expanse. "All planets have assembled at their stations. Now, come forth to the grand stadium."
In an instant, all of the Star players glow with magical energy, their forms lifting from the Universal Tree branch and flowing upwards. The energy ripples as Stars from other planets on the other branches also rises, their bodies carried by the same magical force, converging toward the towering Universal Tree. They ascend together, spiraling upwards toward the kingdom of heaven at its peak.
At the top, a massive, awe-inspiring stadium comes into view. The Star players from across the universe appear within it, and the vastness of the arena astounds them.
Kayle scans the stadium, her gaze landing on a magical inscription above them. She reads the words aloud, "Planet Isha." As she looks around, she sees more inscriptions floating above other Sections of the stadium, each displaying their respective planet names.
Gilga smiles, a look of satisfaction crossing his face. "I'm glad to what happen all those years ago. If I'd rushed back then, I would have never witnessed so many powerful Stars from across the universe!"
Lars observes the vast differences among the Star players, noting the diversity of skin colors and appearances. Each one unique, yet all united in this grand competition.
Then, with a sudden, overwhelming presence, God appears. His avatar manifests before them, his top half glowing with celestial power. His voice rings out, reverberating through the vast stadium.
"The 110th Star Game has the most Stars participating in history. A total of 9 billion Stars are here!"
The stadium, immense in size, is capable of holding every one of those 9 billion Star players.
"Come, viewers of my universe, and enjoy the Star Games!"
In that instant, multiple portals open across the universe, and massive spaceships begin to appear. Terra's eyes widen in amazement as she takes in the sight of so many Star players below. On Zion's spaceship, the crew moves past countless other ships, jockeying for the best view of the vast arena.
God's voice returns, rich with authority. "All my Star mortals from across the planets has come to the top of the universe to compete in the Star Games, until there is one. The winner will ascend and become a GOD!"