Re:Awakening with Ultimate Power as a Cosmic God-Chapter 79: Ch : The End of Callex - Part 3

The crowd outside the imperial palace had barely caught its breath when the ground shook again—this time sharper, angrier.

Nova stood near the edge of the gathering, arms folded, eyes narrowed.

Anna, Malrik, and Queen Eleysa stood nearby, all watching as the palace behind them groaned under an invisible weight.

Then, with a thunderous crash, the roof of the palace cracked apart.

A jagged hole tore open the heart of Callex’s pride, and something monstrous forced its way out.

A twisted figure, warped and half-formed, covered in grotesque tendrils and hardened plates of bone-like armor, clawed its way into the open.

It was humanoid only in outline—everything else about it was aberrant, the product of some dark experiment or godless tampering.

Its face, partially shrouded, seemed familiar and yet wrong.

People screamed. Soldiers raised their weapons. Nova’s grip tightened around the hilt of his sword.

"What... is that?"

Anna whispered, eyes wide.

Queen Eleysa didn’t speak at first. Her gaze locked onto the monster, and for a moment, a rare vulnerability flashed across her face.

But it wasn’t fear. It was recognition.

"That’s...That’s...Queen Gorgon, my sister."

Her voice trailed off. She exhaled.

"What? Your Majesty, excuse me, but...what the hell?"

Malrik turned sharply toward her.

"I don’t know what they did to her, but that’s Gorgon for sure. I’d know her presence anywhere."

Her voice grew hard.

"Guards—start evacuating the lower districts immediately. Move the civilians out of the capital. Now!"

The monster—Gorgon—turned her head sharply. Perhaps she heard the order. Perhaps she simply sensed the fleeing crowds.

Either way, she hissed, a shrill and inhuman sound, before lunging forward. Her movement was wild, erratic, a blur of power and rage.

Queen Eleysa didn’t hesitate.

Her aether surged, gold and violent, and in the blink of an eye, dozens of thin, bladed constructs exploded from the air around her—sword-like projections of energy that locked into a circular net.

The barrier caught Gorgon mid-leap, halting her in the air with a screeching wail as aether crashed into corrupted flesh.

But the impact forced Eleysa down to one knee. Her fingers trembled. Blood ran from her lip. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

The soldiers watched in awe as she held the monster in place, even for a moment. Sixty seconds felt like an eternity.

Then, with a final shriek, the creature broke off and fled, retreating back toward the ruins it had come from.

"Your Majesty!"

A guard ran toward her.

Malrik stepped forward too, blade drawn.

"What are your orders?"

Eleysa rose to her feet slowly. Her face was pale, but her voice didn’t waver.

"You know your orders, Captain. Protect Callex. That thing may carry my sister’s face, but it is no longer Gorgon. Treat it as a threat to the realm and do not hesitate."

Malrik nodded, and the soldiers rushed to reinforce the palace’s perimeter.

Meanwhile, Anna moved beside Nova, who hadn’t taken his eyes off the creature even as it vanished into the distance.

"Should we help? You saw it—it’s strong. Maybe too strong."

She asked.

Nova remained quiet for a long beat before finally answering.

"No. That’s not our fight—not right now."

Anna blinked.

"But—"

"I’ve seen something like this before. The core of reason—it’s not just hiding anymore. It’s controlling. I’m sure now: this is its work. Someone must be using it to change the outcome of this world."

Nova said, low and grim.

Queen Eleysa approached, overhearing his words.

"The core of reason? What are you talking about?"

Nova met her gaze.

"It’s what you call your god and the reason behind the ’divine power’ this planet possesses. It is responsible for everyting. The monster, the earthquakes, the divine energy, the false awakening—everything. I don’t know what the people behind it wants exactly, but I know they hagve been moving pieces while we’ve been watching the wrong board."

Malrik’s jaw tightened.

"Then we need to find it. Fast."

Nova nodded.

"It’s the only way to stop this before the next ’experiment’ is unleashed."

Anna frowned.

"And what if we’re already too late?"

Nova turned back toward the ruined palace.

"Then we’ll deal with it when it comes. But right now, we need to find the core."

The winds carried the scent of dust and divine decay. Behind them, the people of Callex began to flee. Ahead, the true enemy remained hidden.

But not for long.

Queen Eleysa stood tall despite the blood at the corner of her lips and the tremble in her fingers. Her presence alone steadied the crowd.

Then she turned sharply to Nova and Anna.

"You two...Find the core. Rip it out. Destroy it. Whatever it takes."

She commanded, her voice cold but resolute.

Nova didn’t argue. He gave a small nod, his expression unreadable. Anna hesitated for a second, then followed his lead.

"I’ll hold the city. My power is enough to shield the civilians. For now."

Queen Eleysa continued.

There was a brief silence. Then, a voice from the crowd spoke.

"You’re really staying?"

A few nobles murmured in disbelief, and even some of the commoners stared wide-eyed. Whispers passed through the crowd like wind through dry grass.

Queen Eleysa—their aloof, untouchable monarch—was staying behind. To fight. For them.

"We never thought you’d protect us. Not really."

An old woman said.

"Everyone said... you were selfish."

The queen rolled her eyes.

"I am selfish. If all of you die, then who would I be queen of?"

Her lips curled into a wry smile.

There was a stunned pause—then a few surprised chuckles. No one believed her, not really. But for once, that didn’t matter.

"Malrik."

Eleysa called out.

He stepped forward, already braced for his assignment.

"Go with them. Keep an eye on those two. I still don’t trust them completely."

She said.

Malrik looked at Nova, then Anna, and exhaled slowly.

"Understood."

"But I do trust you. You’ll know what to do if things turn... complicated."

Queen Eleysa added, eyes fixed on him.

Malrik blinked. The words hit him harder than he expected. From her, they felt almost like a blessing. Almost.

Before he could answer, a horrible screech tore through the air.

The monster returned—leaping down from above in a chaotic spiral of broken limbs and writhing corruption. The air split from the pressure of its descent.

Without flinching, Queen Eleysa raised her hands. Aether surged.

Golden chains weaved together in the air like a lattice, forming a glowing dome of defense. The monster struck the barrier with a roar, and the world shook from the impact.

"Go!"

The queen shouted, holding firm as her barrier buckled under the monster’s weight.

Nova, Anna, and Malrik didn’t wait. They ran. Behind them, Queen Eleysa stood beneath the trembling sky, refusing to fall.

The trio moved swiftly through the broken city streets, weaving between fleeing civilians and scattered debris.

Nova glanced back once—just once—and saw Queen Eleysa still standing, her golden net of aether flickering under the monster’s relentless assault.

"She won’t hold forever."

Anna muttered, breathless.

"She doesn’t need to. She just needs to buy us enough time."

Malrik replied grimly.

Nova’s expression darkened.

"Then let’s not waste it."

Above them, the clouds churned.

The air pulsed with raw aether. And somewhere beneath Callex’s fractured foundations, the core of reason awaited—beating like a heart, watching them draw closer with every step.