Reborn With the Infinite Gods System

It had barely been a day since the fall of Toram—the beginning of the end—and already the world around Kyota resembled the first stirrings of an apocalypse. The once clear skies were now washed in an eerie crimson, and the sun, shrouded by a thick veil of dust and smoke, struggled to shine with the same warmth it once held.

There was a perpetual gloom that hung over everything, casting long, ghostly shadows across the crumbling city streets.

Hera moved cautiously through the shattered glass doors of what had once been a bustling store, her eyes scanning for anything she could salvage. Shelves were overturned, and debris scattered the floor, but in the midst of the chaos, she could still find useful supplies. She filled her nylon bag with canned food, bottled water, and anything else of value.

The invasion hadn't reached Kyota yet, but it was only a matter of time. The streets were already a lawless battleground, filled with desperate people fighting and killing each other for the smallest scraps of survival.

She kept one hand tightly on the bag and the other on the hilt of her sword, her fingers brushing the cool metal for comfort. She had lost her abilities like everyone else, but her skill with the blade had not diminished. If someone tried to pull a fast one on her, they'd regret it.

Hera finished looting and quickly headed back to her apartment, her footsteps echoing through the empty, desolate streets. When she reached her destination, a tall, grim building, she knocked on the door—nine slow, deliberate times, a code to ensure her safety. The door swung open swiftly, and she stepped inside, her face a mix of exhaustion, joy, and sadness.

It was hard to maintain any semblance of hope when the world outside was already descending into chaos, and this was just the beginning.

"Aunt Hera!" Luxiam's small form flung itself into her arms, his voice filled with relief.

Hera hugged him tightly, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill. "Hey, kid. I'm back." She quickly broke the embrace and turned to close and barricade the door with the nearest furniture, her body moving on autopilot. The weight of the world felt heavier with each passing moment, but she had to keep it together. For them.

Annie emerged from the back room, her eyes wide with worry as she approached. "Are you okay, Sis Hera?"

"I'm fine," Hera reassured her, offering a tired smile. But the truth was, she wasn't sure how much longer she could keep up the act. The apocalypse had shattered everything, and it was getting harder to put on a brave face. But someone had to. For the kids. For Annie.

For Luxiam.

Hera had taken it upon herself to protect them, especially after the fall of Toram. The news of the Fatek's invasion had come as a shock, but even more horrifying was the discovery that the children she had been tasked with training—the Double Awakened—were all orphans.

Their powers had drawn the attention of the Fatek long before the invasion, and now, with their abilities stripped away, they were vulnerable.

"I don't see why you keep going out for more supplies when we have enough to last us months," Rave, one of the Double Awakened kids, muttered from the corner, his arms crossed defiantly.

Hera shook her head, pulling the nylon bag closer to her side. "First rule of survival—never assume you have enough. We don't know how long this will last or what might happen next. It's better to be over-prepared than caught off guard."

"That's if we survive when they come for Kyota," Luxiam said quietly, his voice somber. His words hung in the air like a heavy cloud, casting a shadow over everyone in the room.

He was right. When the invasion reached Kyota, all the stockpiling and preparation would be meaningless. The Fatek would come, and they would die. Hera clenched her fists, her heart pounding with a mixture of fear and rage. She had fought to protect these kids, to give them a chance, and now it felt like everything was slipping away.

Annie hugged herself tightly, her thoughts drifting to Axel and Trisha. *Axel... Trisha... please come back to us. We need you.*

***

Meanwhile, across the stars, deep in the heart of the Fatek mothership, a twisted throne made entirely of human skulls dominated the room. Lord Fatek sat upon it, his grotesque form relaxed, his eyes gleaming with dark pleasure as he listened to the reports from his underlings.

"A few more humans captured, Lord Fatek. Eight million have already been used for experimentation. Our progress is... substantial," a Fatek scientist spoke, his head bowed low in respect.

Lord Fatek tapped his long, clawed fingers against the arm of his throne, a sinister smile curling his lips. "Good. Very good. We must expedite the creation of the weapon. The Ryoma were fools to think they could hide it from us. But thanks to their miscalculations, we now possess the blueprints, and soon...

we will wield the ultimate power."

His voice echoed through the chamber, sending chills down the spines of those who served him. "This binding these humans possess... it is the key to destroying the Voidwalker. With it, we will become the most powerful force in the universe. Untouchable. Unstoppable."

The scientist hesitated before continuing, his voice trembling. "And... what of the hunters from Kyota? The ones trapped in space after Rika Zero was destroyed?"

Lord Fatek let out a low, malevolent laugh. "Ah, yes. The high-ranking fools. They will wander space until they die, forever searching for something that no longer exists. I already have what they were after. They are irrelevant now."

He rose from his throne, his towering figure casting a long shadow across the room. "The time has come. We will begin the full-scale invasion. This planet is ours, and soon... the entire universe will know the name of the Fatek."

He spread his arms wide, his voice booming with finality. "Prepare the fleet. Let the true war begin."

***

Another twist... Let's keep reading. Things are gonna get more complicated.