Rising through the Omniverse as a Herrscher

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On the vast, barren surface of the moon, two figures stood facing each other in a tense standoff. Masachika and Belfast locked eyes, both poised and ready. The air—if there were any on the moon—would have been thick with anticipation as the sparring match was about to begin.

"You can do it, Brother!"

"You can do it, Masachika-sama!"

No—scratch that. There weren't just two people on the moon. There were four.

A little off to the side, two more figures stood enthusiastically cheering. Yuki and Ayano, completely ignoring the serious atmosphere, were decked out in full cheerleader costumes, pom-poms and all, that she created using the Authority of Truth.

"Hooraaay, hooray! Go go, Brother!" Yuki chanted, shaking her pom-poms dramatically.

Ayano, slightly more composed but still fully committed, clapped along in rhythm.

Masachika, still in his stance, twitched slightly at the ridiculous sight. "…You two. What are you even wearing?"

Yuki grinned. "Support outfits, obviously! If we're going to cheer, we have to do it right!"

Belfast, on the other hand, simply maintained her elegant composure, acting as if this were completely normal. "…Shall we begin, Masachika-sama?"

Masachika exhaled, trying to refocus. "Yeah… Let's just get this over with."

Meanwhile, Yuki and Ayano continued their overly enthusiastic cheer routine, completely oblivious to his growing exasperation.

Masachika and Belfast locked eyes, the tension between them palpable. Neither spoke a word, yet they both understood—the moment one moved, the fight would begin.

Masachika wasn't planning to use his weapon this time. Instead, he wanted to rely solely on his fists, testing himself in pure hand-to-hand combat. Without further hesitation, he activated Auto Counter through the Authority of Consciousness, sharpening his reflexes to their peak.

In the blink of an eye, Belfast vanished from her spot. Masachika barely had time to process her movement before she reappeared right in front of him, reaching out in an attempt to grab him.

His body reacted instantly. He sidestepped at the last possible moment, narrowly avoiding her grasp. His initial instinct was to seize her wrist and counter, but—

Warning.

A sharp sensation pulsed through his mind, a premonition that if he grabbed her now, he would regret it. Trusting his instincts, he abandoned the idea and instead leaped backward, creating some distance.

But Belfast wasn't about to let him breathe.

With relentless precision, she chased after him, closing the gap in an instant. Before he could fully regain his footing, she was already in front of him again, her next attack incoming.

 (Dodge to the right!)

Musashi's voice rang in Masachika's mind like a sharp command, and he reacted instantly, twisting his body just in time to narrowly avoid Belfast's attack. However, before he could regain his balance, his instincts flared again—

Too late.

In a seamless follow-up, Belfast executed a lightning-fast leg sweep. The moment Masachika finished dodging, his footing was already gone. His eyes widened as he realized his mistake—he had moved exactly as she wanted.

And she didn't let the opportunity go to waste.

Before he even hit the ground, Belfast drove a powerful kick straight into his stomach. The force of the blow knocked the air out of his lungs, and pain exploded through his torso before he even had the chance to react.

"GUHAK!"

The next thing he knew, he was airborne, his body sent flying across the moon's surface. He crashed down hard, skidding across the cold, lifeless ground, leaving a long trail in the lunar dust.

Yuki and Ayano, who had been watching from the sidelines, struggled to keep up with the sheer speed of the exchange. One moment, Masachika was dodging; the next, he was already crashing into the moon's surface.

Their eyes darted to the side, following the trail of dust and debris left in his wake. Once they spotted him skidding to a stop, they immediately rushed over, concern etched on their faces.

When they arrived, however, they were met with an unexpected sight—Masachika was perfectly fine.

"Brother, are you okay?" Yuki asked, kneeling beside him while Ayano studied him carefully.

Masachika let out a sigh, rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah, I'm fine. Geez… she really doesn't give me any time to breathe, huh?"

Yuki and Ayano exchanged a look before turning their gaze back to Belfast, who was already standing in place, waiting for Masachika to get up. Her stance was composed, unwavering—ready to continue as if nothing had happened.

"So, are you gonna continue?" Yuki asked, tilting her head.

Masachika let out a small chuckle as he pushed himself back onto his feet. "Of course, I am," he replied, rolling his shoulders. Any injuries he had suffered were already fully healed, as if nothing had happened.

"I see," Yuki said with a grin. "Then me and Ayano will be on the side cheering you on, alright? Fight on!" She raised both of her pom-poms enthusiastically.

"Un, fight on, Masachika-sama." Ayano followed suit, lifting her pom-poms with a composed but supportive smile.

Masachika chuckled at the sight. "Thanks, you two."

As he turned his gaze back to Belfast, who remained poised and ready, he clenched his fists, feeling the excitement build up again. This fight was far from over.

But before the fight could escalate further, Yuki suddenly turned to Belfast with a request.

"Nee, Belfast, can you buff us both so we can see what's actually happening?"

"Of course, Yuki-sama," Belfast replied smoothly.

With just a simple snap of her fingers, a surge of energy washed over us. Almost instantly, my senses sharpened to an absurd degree—I could feel every shift in the air, every flicker of movement.

Now fully enhanced, the two of us clashed once again. But despite my best efforts—adjusting my stance, reading her attacks, and trying to predict Belfast's movements—the result didn't change. No matter what I did, I simply couldn't keep up.

Each exchange ended with Masachika skidding across the moon's surface, kicking up dust and leaving a trail behind him. However, with each clash, his body continued to evolve at an astonishing rate.

His strength had increased significantly, allowing him to withstand Belfast's powerful strikes without crumpling immediately. His speed had also risen to new heights, making his movements sharper and more fluid. His acuity sharpened, his reflexes became faster, and even his thought process had accelerated to the point where he could engage in Parallel Thinking, processing multiple strategies at once while still reacting in real-time. His body was adapting to Belfast's relentless onslaught, refining itself with every impact.

At first, Yuki and Ayano had been enthusiastically cheering him on, their voices echoing across the moon's barren landscape. However, as the battle progressed, their excitement shifted into something more subdued.

"…Brother, are you sure you're improving?" Yuki asked, resting her chin on her pom-pom, her eyes following Masachika as he rolled to a stop once again.

Ayano, who had been quietly observing, gave a small nod. "His movements are different from before."

Yuki blinked and looked closer. Now that Ayano mentioned it, Masachika was reacting faster—dodging more cleanly, countering with greater precision. His strikes were no longer wild attempts to land a hit; they were calculated, measured, and executed with growing efficiency.

Belfast, who had maintained the upper hand throughout, narrowed her eyes slightly as she took note of the changes as well. "You're adapting, Masachika-sama."

Masachika exhaled, brushing some dust off his sleeve. "Yeah… I can feel it. My body is changing." He clenched his fist, the raw power surging through his evolving form evident in the way his muscles tensed.

Yuki smirked. "Well, at least you're not just getting bullied now."

Masachika chuckled, rolling his shoulders. "I wouldn't go that far yet." His gaze locked onto Belfast once more. "One more time."

Belfast gave a small nod. "As many times as necessary."

With that, the battle resumed—each clash driving Masachika further beyond his limits, forging him into something even greater.

The battle raged on for hours, an endless cycle of clashes, counters, and relentless pursuit of growth. Masachika's body continued to evolve thanks to Reactive Evolution, his strength, speed, and reflexes reaching unprecedented levels. His movements, once sluggish compared to Belfast's, now carried an almost supernatural sharpness—each dodge, block, and strike executed with precision honed through relentless adaptation.

Then, at one particular moment, Belfast—who had been in full control throughout—felt something she hadn't expected.

For the briefest instant, her body tensed.

A flicker of realization crossed her face as she adjusted her stance, almost instinctively preparing to release more power.

Almost.

She stopped herself just before crossing the threshold, but the sheer fact that she had even considered it spoke volumes.

Masachika had pushed his physical abilities to such heights that, for a moment, she had nearly unleashed one percent of her true strength.

Not zero point with a lot of zeros. A full one percent.

It was an insignificant amount to her, but to anything else? That one percent was more than enough to erase a Large-sized Star thousand times over with just a mere flick of her finger. Just that alone was proof of Masachika's staggering rate of evolution—something that would leave even the most brilliant combat geniuses in shock.

After several intense exchanges, Masachika lay sprawled on the moon's surface, his chest heaving as he struggled to steady his breath.

Yuki and Ayano walked over, their cheerleader outfits still pristine despite the intense battle they had been spectating. Yuki crouched down beside him, poking his cheek with a curious expression.

"Oi, Brother. You okay?"

Masachika groaned, barely mustering the energy to swat her hand away. "Stop poking me…"

Yuki smirked and poked him again. "Just checking if you're still alive."

Ayano, standing beside her, tilted her head. "Masachika-sama, should we bring you back?"

Masachika exhaled heavily and shook his head. "Just… let me lay here and rest for a bit."

Belfast, who had been watching in silence, approached with her usual elegance. She looked down at him, her expression unreadable. "You did well, Masachika-sama. Your growth is remarkable."

Masachika forced a weak chuckle. "Yeah? Then how about… letting me win next time?"

Belfast closed her eyes, a small smile playing at her lips. "That would be a disservice to your progress."

Yuki snickered. "Pfft, yeah, no way she'd go easy on you."

Masachika sighed. "Figures…"

Masachika unknowingly closed his eyes, his exhaustion finally catching up to him. His breathing steadied, and before he could even process it, he had already drifted off into a deep sleep.

Yuki blinked at him before tilting her head. "And there he goes, falling asleep already."

Ayano knelt beside him, observing his peaceful expression. "What should we do now, Yuki-sama?"

"Hmm…" Yuki tapped her chin, thinking for a moment.

She glanced at Masachika, who looked as if he hadn't a single care in the world despite having just been tossed around by Belfast for hours. The sight made her smirk. "Honestly… Brother really is something else, huh?"

Ayano nodded. "His resilience is impressive."

Yuki reached out and poked his cheek again, watching as he remained unresponsive. "He's completely out. Not even flinching this time."

"Shall we carry him back?" Ayano asked, glancing at Masachika's sleeping form.

Yuki stretched her arms before nodding. "Yeah, I guess. Belfast, can you carry him?"

"I can, Yuki-sama," Belfast replied without hesitation.

"Un, now let's go back then."

With practiced ease, Belfast lifted Masachika onto her back, securing his position as if he weighed nothing. She stood beside Yuki and Ayano, awaiting their next move.

Without any further thought, Ayano raised her hand slightly, her eyes glowing faintly as space distorted around them. In the blink of an eye, the group disappeared from the moon's surface, instantly reappearing back at their house.

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…Bro… wa… up…

Who… is calling me?

…Brother… wake… up…

The voice was distant, muffled—like a whisper through a thick fog.

"Brother! I keep telling yooouuu tooooo wake upppppp!"

Before I could even process the words, a sudden impact slammed into my stomach like a freight train. My eyes snapped open as pain shot through my body.

"Ugh!"

I barely managed to gasp before my vision adjusted, and there she was—Yuki—standing over me with a satisfied grin.

"Yuki… you bastard…" I groaned, my voice weak.

She had caught me completely off guard. My body was still in a state of complete relaxation, muscles unprepared for any sudden impact. And to make things worse, she hadn't emitted a single trace of killing intent—nothing for my instincts to pick up on. But what I really wanted to know was… how the hell did she even damage me?

Someone like her shouldn't have been able to hurt me, not even a little. Yet here I was, feeling the lingering ache from her dropkick.

I clutched my stomach, still processing what just happened. "What the hell was that for…?" I muttered, glaring up at her.

Yuki, completely unfazed, crossed her arms and huffed. "Well, you weren't waking up. I had to do something!"

"And that something was a damn dropkick?"

She shrugged, giving me a smug grin. "Hey, it worked, didn't it?"

"You bastard." I shot her another glare. She really had the audacity to dropkick me just to wake me up. I exhaled sharply, deciding that getting pissed off first thing in the morning wasn't worth it. Instead, I took a moment to look around, realizing I was in my room instead of on the moon.

I let out a deep sigh and fixed my gaze on her. "So? Why the hell did you wake me up first thing in the morning?" I asked, irritation creeping into my voice. Then, narrowing my eyes, I leaned in slightly. "And more importantly… how the hell did you even manage to hurt me? That dropkick of yours actually woke me up—when you shouldn't even be able to scratch me."

"First, get changed. We're going out now."

Yuki casually got off me and started walking toward the door, as if she hadn't just dropkicked me awake.

I furrowed my brows. "Huh? To where?"

"Why, of course, to watch some movies."

I stared at her, completely incredulous.

'She woke me up like that… for a movie?'

As she reached for the door handle, she paused and glanced back at me. "Oh, and if you're wondering how I managed to hurt you... it's thanks to Belfast."

That made me freeze. "What?"

Yuki just smirked before stepping out of the room, leaving me with more questions than answers.

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After a few hours of watching movies, Yuki and I finally stepped out of the theater. She had dragged me here without any warning, and now that it was over, I could only sigh. As for what we watched? I'll leave that up to your imagination.

Ayano and Belfast had the day off, so it was just the two of us.

I stretched, cracking my neck. "Well, that's done. What now?"

"It's good…" Yuki muttered beside me.

I glanced at her. "Hm?"

Suddenly, she clenched her fists, eyes shining with excitement. "It was really good—what the hell!"

I raised an eyebrow at her sudden outburst. "Whoa, what happened?"

"What do you mean, 'what happened'? Didn't you just watch what we watched?!" Yuki practically shouted at me, her excitement overflowing.

I rubbed my temple, feeling the dull ache still lingering from earlier. "Yeah, well, how the hell was I supposed to focus when I'm still feeling the damn pain from that dropkick you gave me this morning?!"

Yuki blinked, then tilted her head slightly. "Oh, that? Yeah, about that…" She casually waved a hand. "Belfast buff me with a Defense Piercing buff."

I stared at her, deadpan. "A what?"

"A Defense Piercing buff," she repeated matter-of-factly. "So I could actually hit you and make you feel pain. You're not exactly easy to damage anymore, you know?"

I ran a hand down my face. "Of course she did… And what about this stupid lingering pain?"

"Oh, that's just the Lingering Effect. It lets you keep feeling the pain you experienced for half a day," she explained with an innocent smile, as if this was completely normal.

I narrowed my eyes at her. "And let me guess… this 'Lingering Effect' was your idea?"

Yuki smirked, placing her hands on her hips. "Consider this your lesson, Brother."

I clenched my fists, gritting my teeth. "You bastard!"

She simply laughed, clearly enjoying every bit of my suffering. Meanwhile, I was stuck here, still feeling the damn pain from that ridiculous dropkick. Half a day, huh? Just great.

(That really must have hurt, huh?)

Musashi's voice echoed in my mind, laced with amusement.

(Yeah, it hurt like hell. Thanks, Belfast.)

I sighed internally as Yuki walked ahead, still looking smug about the whole thing. Meanwhile, I was stuck dealing with this lingering pain, which made every step feel like a reminder of my dear little sister's newfound ability to bypass my defenses.

Despite that, the two of us continued strolling through the crowded mall. People bustled around, chatting, shopping, and enjoying their day—completely unaware that I was enduring the aftereffects of a ridiculous dropkick-powered wake-up call.

I could feel their gazes locked onto me, their presence distinct even amidst the sea of people. At first, I sensed three, but after a moment, I realized there were actually five.

The first, of course, was Alya. She wasn't even trying to hide her presence—nor did she need to. But the other four? They were different. Their observation wasn't just casual curiosity—it was sharp, calculated, deliberate. Every movement, every glance felt measured, like they were analyzing me rather than simply watching.

Yuki Nonaka, Kurumi Nonaka, Shiba Kyouichi, and Takashi Hayase. Members of the Hero Clan.

They weren't here by coincidence. That much was obvious.

(Masachika, four of them are watching you.) Musashi's voice echoed in my mind, calm but firm.

(Yeah, I noticed… but four? Not five?) I asked, keeping my gaze forward as if I hadn't noticed anything.

(Four of them are trying to hide their presence,) Musashi clarified. (But come on, like hell they could actually hide from your Universal Sense.)

I resisted the urge to smirk. True enough, their attempts at concealment were laughable in the face of my evolved perception. Every breath they took, every slight shift in their posture—I could sense it all as clearly as if they were standing right in front of me.

(So that means Alya isn't even bothering to hide?) I mused.

(Obviously. She's just watching you openly, like usual. The others, though? They're definitely up to something.)

I let out a slow exhale, pretending to just be stretching my shoulders. (Tch. What a pain…)

Yuki then stopped in front of a clothing store, her eyes scanning the display with interest.

"Brother, can I check this store out for a bit?" she asked, already stepping toward the entrance.

I shrugged. "Hm, fine by me."

"Alright," she said, her tone a mix of excitement and nonchalance as she walked in.

I followed behind at a slower pace, not particularly interested in fashion but having nothing better to do. The moment we stepped inside, Yuki's attention was immediately drawn to a row of outfits, her eyes gleaming as she started browsing through them.

"Nee, Yuki," I called out to her as she flipped through the racks of clothing.

"Hm? What is it, Brother?" she replied, not even glancing my way.

"While we were walking, did you happen to notice something silver?"

Yuki paused for a moment before tilting her head slightly. "Hm? Ah… are you talking about Alya-san?"

"Yeah. So, you noticed her too?"

She let out a small chuckle, finally turning to face me with a smirk. "Of course. She wasn't exactly trying to hide."

I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. "Figures. And is that also why you let your hair down?" I asked, eyeing her current look.

Right now, she was dressed in a tomboyish outfit—completely different from her usual style. When we came here, her hair had been tied up in ponytails, but now it flowed freely over back.

"Yeah, that's right," she replied casually, running a hand through her hair.

"I see…" I muttered, glancing toward where Alya was trying to hide. She wasn't doing a particularly good job of it—not from the two of us, at least.

Now, what should I do? Should I go up and say hi? Or just pretend I didn't notice her and see what she does next?

Before I could even make up my mind, Yuki suddenly decided to throw all subtlety out the window. With a confident stride and a smirk on her face, she marched straight toward Alya without hesitation, as if she had planned this from the very start.

"Ara, Alya-san," Yuki said with a teasing lilt in her voice, her eyes glinting with mischief.

I followed Yuki toward where Alya was, watching as she stiffened the moment she realized she had been spotted.

"Oh, Alya. Now this is a coincidence," I said, giving her a casual smile.

The moment our eyes met, she hesitated, as if debating whether to bolt or act natural. For a second, she even tried to hide herself again, as if that would somehow erase what had just happened. But after a few moments, she finally stepped out and cleared her throat, attempting to regain her composure.

"W-What a coincidence," she said, her voice slightly unsteady. "Well, actually… I just happened to spot the two of you while I was on my way to buy some clothes, and I, um… couldn't find the right timing to call out to you?"

('Like hell it is.')

Me, Yuki, and Musashi all thought the exact same thing at the same time.

Yuki tilted her head slightly, a sly smile forming on her lips. "ah, right. Alya-san, you said you came here to buy some clothes, right?"

Alya hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Y-Yeah."

"I see…" Yuki paused, as if thinking about something. Then, with a casual tone, she asked, "Then, have you had lunch yet?"

Alya's posture stiffened slightly. "N-No… not yet."

"O-Oi, Yuki—ugh!"

Before I could even finish my sentence, Yuki suddenly threw a punch straight into my stomach—right where I was still feeling the lingering pain from this morning's dropkick. A sharp jolt of pain shot through me, forcing me to double over as I clutched my stomach.

"Gah…! Damn it, Yuki…!" I groaned, gritting my teeth.

It didn't take long for me to realize what just happened. The buff that Belfast gave her was still active. That had to be it—there was no other way she could've broken through my defense so easily. It was like my durability meant nothing at all.

"Kuze-kun, are you okay?" Alya asked as she stepped closer, concern evident in her voice.

I let out a strained breath and managed a weak nod. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine…" Then, shifting my glare toward Yuki. Still clutching my stomach, I straightened up, forcing myself to regain some composure. With a serious expression, I turned to Alya.

"Alya, don't come with us for lunch. The food we're eating is really spicy."

She paused for a moment, seemingly considering my words. "I see…" she muttered.

"Right, now—" Just as I was about to continue, Alya suddenly cut me off.

"I'll go."

I blinked. "Huh?"

She met my gaze with a determined look. "I said I'll go. Spicy food or not, I can handle it."

"Or what? You don't like me being there?" Alya narrowed her eyes at me, her voice carrying a hint of challenge.

I opened my mouth to respond but hesitated. "No, it's just…" I sighed, running a hand through my hair. There was no point in arguing. I knew her well enough to understand that once she made up her mind, nothing was going to change it.

"Alright," I relented, shaking my head. "But don't blame me for not warning you."

Alya crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. "Why should I blame you for something like that?"

I stole a quick glance at Yuki, who was now barely holding back a laugh. Yeah… this was definitely not going to end well for her.

The three of us made our way to the restaurant that Yuki and I had decided on. The moment Alya caught sight of the sign hanging above the entrance, she froze in place.

"Is this… Hell's Cauldron…" she muttered, her eyes widening in disbelief.

I could already see it—hesitation creeping onto her face. She had been so confident earlier, but now? Now she was realizing exactly what she had gotten herself into.

"This is… a ramen shop, right?" Alya asked, her voice tinged with hesitation.

Yuki, ever the troublemaker, grinned mischievously. "Yes, is there something wrong, Alya-san?"

"Ah, no… it's just that… there's Hell in the name." She pointed at the glowing sign above the entrance, her brows furrowing slightly.

"You don't need to worry about that," Yuki said, waving a hand dismissively. "It's just a theme. The names are in the menu too."

"I-I see…" Alya muttered, her uncertainty only growing.

Her gaze flickered between us and the entrance, lingering on the ominous sign for a moment longer. She had been confident before, but now? Now she was definitely second-guessing her decision.

But that wasn't my only concern. It seemed the four Heroes had followed us.

(They're persistent.) Musashi's voice echoed in my mind.

(Yeah. Let's see if they actually have the guts to ruin my weekend.)

If they dared to make a move, I wouldn't be pleased. Not one bit. In fact, if they really wanted to test my patience, I might just take a little trip to their precious Hero Clan Village and turn it into a frozen wonderland—a nice, quiet, ice-covered ruin where nothing but the wind would dare to whisper. And this time I'm serious.

So I dare you Hero, try and do something on this

Pushing that thought aside, the three of us stepped into the restaurant.

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i don't have any say in this part, but tell me what you think on what this chapter is in the comment. like if i made the MC too strong too quickly, i will read it and try to improve it in the upcoming chapter.

and that's probably it, and as always thanks for reading my Fanfic.