When Ryuk stepped through the portal, there was more than the usual.
Every time he had ever stepped through a portal, the first thing that usually greeted him was darkness.
The same held true even when he traveled using his Void Vortex ability.
And with that darkness often came a sense of stillness.
But this time, things were different.
For one, there was no darkness at all.
Instead, it was a blinding ray of light.
One so powerful, he couldn’t even open his eyes, followed by an incredulous pull.
It dragged him forward with a blinding speed that seemed to continue forever until—
A powerful flash of blue-crimson light burst throughout the entire Void as a pair of abyssally calm eyes opened.
The first thing Ryuk saw when he forced his eyes open was the Void.
But if one says the Void is pitch black, then what would a golden Void look like?
That was exactly what was in front of Ryuk.
A golden-colored Void.
A sight that made him begin to question whether it could still even be called a Void with its golden hue.
Tiny star particles and Void fragments floated all around, each gleaming in that radiant gold.
But soon, they all blurred past him with blinding speed as his body was still being pulled forward.
It went on and on—until he saw something.
Something that took his breath away.
"Is... is that—!" he thought, stunned, as the golden panel flickered before his widened eyes, confirming his vision.
[The True Origin World of the Fallen Angels, Ammamora!]
In a golden Void beyond the constellations was a world that defied all comprehension.
Ryuk had once gone beyond space in his battle with Zar’kul and had seen Endearth from an outside perspective.
He could still faintly remember how vast it was. How awe-inspiring.
This was a colossus, with a volume that could contain a 100 Endearths with ease.
It blazed in uninterrupted golden luminance—not a color reflecting light, but a light born from the essence of the world itself.
The atmosphere shimmered in tiers—rivers of molten gold folding over one another in endless spirals, each layer richer and more alive than the last.
Lightning split the clouds in veins of radiant fury, carving symbols that vanished before his mind could grasp them.
No oceans, no forests, no tectonic scars—only seamless expanses of golden terrain, pulsing with the breath of a planet that felt awake.
And as he drew closer to this world, his chest—without warning—began to grow heavier and heavier.
’What... what is happening?’ his thoughts echoed, caught between shock and dread.
And then he saw what was responsible.
The moment his gaze met it, the entire world froze.
The most staggering Ryuk had ever encountered—and for a moment, his mind went completely blank.
Beneath the golden colossus of a world stood the presence.
It was as though the planet itself balanced upon the back of this singular being.
A winged silhouette, arms outstretched, as though holding the weight of the celestial sphere without effort.
A halo of searing gold encircled the figure’s head—not delicate or serene, but a crown of raw, unshakable authority.
Its wings were vast, suspended in divine equilibrium—arcs of golden energy that neither moved nor faltered.
The body was wrapped in celestial gold—not metal, not armor, but something older, denser—concentrated divinity.
It cloaked every inch of the being, refusing to reveal even the faintest trace of mortal or immortal form beneath.
No eyes. No mouth. No skin.
Only the shape—and the unbearable radiance it emitted.
A radiance sharper than a sword, yet it never harmed him.
It was heart-quaking as Ryuk suddenly felt his existence beginning to disperse, yet his mind paid no attention, still reeling from the awe of what was already starting to fade from view.
A being that seemingly carried the entirety of Ammamora—a world hundreds of times larger than Endearth—in its outstretched palm.
’What... what is that being?’
That was the last thought in his mind before everything plummeted into darkness.
But the darkness didn’t last forever, and soon following was the undeniable feeling of solid ground beneath his feet.
He staggered on his footing, one hand clutching his head, which felt as if it had been slashed open from the inside.
The voice was blurry, echoing in and out—until it slowly began to piece together.
He raised his gaze and saw a familiar face.
"Hey, you okay?" Morgaine asked as she looked at Ryuk, who slowly rose to his feet.
And faintly, her heart thumped louder as she looked into his eyes—for a moment, they glowed so bright.
A full crimson and blue, rippling with an energy wave that felt beyond anything she had ever witnessed from him, but it quickly faded, lasting no more than a split second.
She watched him stand upright, his hand moving away from his head.
"I’m fine, Morgaine. Just a bit dizzy from the teleportation, is all..." he said with a smile—one reassuring enough for her to turn her attention back to the front.
That was when it hit Ryuk.
The system panel flashed as Ryuk turned his gaze forward.
The first thing he noticed was the new company they had.
There was the Half-Fallen, and Old Jack, along with the two Fallen Angels they had arrived with—but now, a new group stood before them.
A group striking in appearance.
They could’ve easily passed for humans, if not for their incredibly long golden hair, and eyes that gleamed a blinding golden hue.
All of them, males and females, were clad in the same golden robe, the distinguishing factor being the females wearing a robe that held a hoodie which covered their head, while the males wore normal robes.
Their expressions were unreadable as they discussed with the Half-Fallen one.
’Fallens. They’re all True Fallens...’ he thought silently to himself, watching the group converse.
But soon, the conversation ended as they all prepared to continue moving, ushering them forward.
However, they soon stopped in their tracks as their attention shifted to him.
And he noticed some of them furrowed their brows at the sight of him.
It wasn’t a welcoming gaze...