Chapter 1683: The Fallen Hero Everyone froze. Their chests tightened painfully. Angy. Their friend. Their fighter. Their sister. Their teammate from MBO days. The girl who always smiled at Gustav with warmth. The one who fought harder than anyone for their survival. The one who believed in Gustav when he doubted himself. The one who was ready to die for him— And did. Elevora fell to her knees. Sersi sobbed. Aildris clenched his fist until his knuckles cracked. Falco’s eyes reddened instantly. E.E stumbled forward. His voice broke. "Bro..." His lip trembled. "No... no. Please no..." He grabbed Gustav’s arm. "Say something else. Tell me you’re lying. PLEASE tell me you’re lying. Angy can’t be gone. She CAN’T be! We’ve fought together for YEARS! We survived everything! She survived everything! She—she—she wouldn’t leave like this—" Gustav gently removed E.E’s grip. "I’m sorry." The two words shattered them. There had been losses before. Terrible ones. But Angy? ANGY? It felt unreal. Unfair. Impossible. Gustav began walking forward across the moon’s surface, slowly but tremoring with restrained emotion. The others scrambled after him, desperate to console him, desperate to understand. But Gustav suddenly turned around. The air shifted as his eyes glowed. "I need to be alone right now," he said quietly. "It’s time for you all to go." "Gus—" Endric began. The moment Gustav snapped his fingers... Phuuum~ E.E reached out— "BRO WAIT—!" Falco yelled— "GUSTA—!" Aildris shouted— "DON’T DO THIS—!" A golden flash of light engulfed them and they all vanished. They reappeared on Earth, in the middle of a grassy, peaceful field. Their sanctuary. Their home. Falco stumbled to the ground. Elevora screamed. Sersi fell to her knees again, sobbing uncontrollably. Aildris clenched his fists so tight his palms bled. Endric punched the ground with a snarl. E.E stood there trembling—then yelled from the deepest part of his soul: "FUCK!" His roar echoed across the open field. Because they all understood. The universe had been restored. But one person hadn’t. And the man who saved existence... Had lost the one person he wanted to save most. ... ... ... The world had returned to peace. No... The universe had returned to peace. For the first time in a long time, there were no deities looming overhead, no extradimensional threats descending from rifts, no celestial tyrants splitting the sky with malice. Earth rotated gently beneath a calm sun. Winds blew without distortion. Cities rebuilt themselves with the help of interstellar allies. People laughed without fear. But even with peace settling like dew upon the world, one name was on every tongue: Gustav. The Outworldly. The Universe’s Savior. And another name followed it like a whisper carried by grief: Angy Vilandrobadia. The Silent Savior. The Fallen Hero. Across the continents, the truth had spread. At first it was rumor... just another galactic tale. But then more and more survivors began to speak. They described how the deities twisted existence. How Earth itself was split into three colossal fragments and held hostage in a cosmic prison. How the people were tortured by beings who considered them beneath notice. And how in their final moments, when all hope was lost, Gustav returned. Returned from death. Returned from beyond existence. Returned with the fury of a collapsing star and the compassion of one who had loved deeply. He rewove reality. He restored galaxies. He rebuilt life. And the universe sang his name. But soon, the fuller picture emerged. Gustav could not have come back— Not without her. Angy. The girl who had been gentle even in war. The girl with dual horns of a unicorn. The girl who loved fiercely, lived selflessly... and died quietly. The universe discovered that in order to bring Gustav back, Angy had sacrificed everything... her life... her soul... her existence... and the life of their unborn child... The realization struck the cosmos with a grief so intense that even distant planets mourned. If Gustav was the savior, then Angy was the one who saved the savior. And the one question echoed across every world: Where was Gustav now? Where was the man who rebuilt universes? Where was the warrior, the friend, the protector? He had not appeared. Not once. Not for interviews. Not for celebration. Not even for brief thanks. He had vanished entirely. People speculated... "He must be grieving." 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺 "He must be destroyed." "He must be somewhere the universe cannot see." And they were right. But none dared say it too loudly. Because the truth was tragic. Because the hero of the universe was a broken man. And so, the day finally arrived. The day of Angy Vilandrobadia’s funeral. It was held on Earth— the planet where she was born, the planet she went to school on, the planet where she fell in love with Gustav, the planet she had fought to protect more times than anyone could count. The site chosen was atop a grassy valley in Plankton City. Thousands were in attendance. Not just humans. Aliens from the farthest sectors of the galaxy. Soldiers. Survivors. Children who had been saved. Leaders of worlds restored by Gustav’s hand. Entire starship crews who had flown across lightyears for the sake of a girl they had never met. Hovering drones captured the moment, broadcasting it galaxywide. A memorial podium was raised before a gleaming statue carved of pure lumistone... a rare mineral reserved for only the greatest heroes. It depicted Angy standing tall, her twin unicorn-like horns protruding proudly from the sides of her forehead. She wore a serene and fearless expression. Her pose was one where she lifted a hand as though shielding someone behind her while the other was curled into a fist ready to strike. The sculptor understood her perfectly. Around the statue, white petals drifted like snow. Mr. and Mrs. Vilandrobadia were seated at the front row. They were a little older now with more gray streaks appearing on their hairs... but one thing hadn’t changed: Their love for their daughter. Mrs. Vilandrobadia clutched a handkerchief so tightly it tore. Mr. Vilandrobadia kept his elbows on his knees with hands covering his face and shoulders shaking silently.