Childhood Friend of the Zenith

The world had been split in half.

At least, that was how it appeared to the man.

Blossoms bloomed across the sky as a fine line stretched thin, skewing the horizon itself.

From that horizon, something was splitting apart.

Crack.

The man instinctively knew—it was his own body.

And as his vision shifted downward, he saw—

An old man gazing at him from above.

The one who had introduced himself as a martial artist was looking down at him with an indifferent stare.

“……How.”

Gaps between realms were never meant to be crossed.

Unless one achieved enlightenment, or unless the world itself underwent drastic upheaval, such things should have been impossible.

“You, of all people—”

An outsider from another world.

Though his strength was undeniable, that was his limit.

One who did not possess Rank could never reach him. That was the law of this world, an unbreakable rule set in stone.

“Ghhkk…….”

As the man felt his body being split in two, his eyes burned with fury.

“This cannot be.”

His voice echoed—twice.

“Something so insignificant.”

He could not accept defeat at the hands of one unworthy of Rank.

“To the likes of you—!!”

Szzzzzt—!!

Just as his severed body was about to be completely torn apart, something burst forth from the exposed cross-section like writhing tendrils.

The substance that had escaped immediately latched onto the wound, stitching his body back together.

And in an instant—

“Haa—!”

Not only had his body restored itself, but it felt even stronger than before.

The overwhelming force and divinity emanating from within left the man in awe.

“This is…….”

He knew exactly what had happened. Immediately, he lifted his head to the sky.

“Heavens above!! So it was you!”

It was Him.

The One had bestowed yet another blessing upon him.

A gift, so that he would not suffer defeat at the hands of such a lowly opponent. A blessing to ensure that His servant would not experience such an ignoble loss.