DIVINE STAR

Chapter 8: END OF TRAIL



In the bustling common city at Star University, Tomi and the other professors stand before a crowd of 100 students gathered in the auditorium. Tomi steps forward and grabs the microphone.

"Congratulations, you all are now Stars for the upcoming Star games!"

The crowd erupts into cheers, their excitement filling the room.

Tomi raises a hand to calm them down, his voice firm as he continues. "I am also joining this year's Star game, and as you know, there aren't many previous Stars who back out of the Star games, let alone return. But based on my experiment from my previous Star game, I've noticed a pattern—the nobles and the other Stars from the other planets always play as a team. They understand the power of unity."

He pauses, looking over the eager faces before him.

"So I'm saying this with all my heart—we must also adapt and play as a team. Being selfish will only be our downfall, because the nobles and the other stars from other planets will always have the upper hand over us commoners. So please, let's all work together until the final stage. Only then do we stand a chance, a better chance, at becoming a God!"

The crowd grows silent, the weight of his words settling in. Then, the applause builds again, this time more thoughtful, as the students consider the challenge ahead.

Tomi's voice rings out, confident and commanding. "Don't worry. I will be mostly leading everyone so we can have the best chance to win. But our team will also have another leader, and it will be our top student!"

The crowd stirs in curiosity as Kayle steps onto the stage, her star mask gleaming under the lights. Tomi nods in her direction.

"She has proven her worth, and we must trust her skills. When the games start, stay close to us two if you plan to push as far as you can through the Star game stages."

Kayle takes the microphone from Tomi, her voice strong and unwavering. "It doesn't matter who wins. As long as the winner is a commoner, it will prove that we, commoners, aren't to be looked down on. We can match the nobles, and we can stand toe-to-toe with the other planets!"

The crowd erupts in a wave of cheers, their spirits lifted by her words. Kayle stands tall, her presence commanding attention.

Then, in a surprising move, she removes her mask, revealing her face. A hushed silence falls over the auditorium as everyone stares in awe at her stunning beauty.

Kayle's lips curl into a confident smile as she looks out at the stunned audience. "Why now? Why show my face? It's a long story, so sit tight, and listen to who I truly am."

The room falls completely silent, every eye now fixed on Kayle, waiting for her to reveal the truth.

Meanwhile, in the Noble Trails, Gaia finishes her deep critical thinking and points directly at Ortis. "It's you."

Ortis looks confused as his teammates grab hold of him. "What?! Me?! Lady Gaia, there's no way you've deduced that it was me! You really think it's me?!"

"Of course it's you. I won't waste any time explaining it." Gaia orders her teammates to place Ortis in the middle of the magic circle in the parking lot.

She then turns toward the asylum just as Daisy, the monster ghost, destroys it, reducing it to rubbles. Without hesitation, Gaia takes off running toward the grass field where all the cars are parked. Daisy lets out a monstrous roar and charges at her, smashing through the cars in her path.

Gaia moves forward with confidence as Daisy grabs a car with her massive hands and hurls it straight at her. With a swift sidestep, Gaia dodges with ease. Enraged, Daisy throws more cars, but Gaia keeps dodging, her movements flawless as she closes the distance. She executes a perfect backflip as another car barely misses her—while midair, upside down, her hair is only inches away from the flying vehicle. She glances at her team with a confident smile.

Now face-to-face with Daisy, Gaia leans in and whispers, "I know where your brother is."

At the same time, she quickly dodges as Daisy swings a massive hammer-like strike, the impact shaking the ground violently. Daisy freezes for a moment, momentarily stunned by Gaia's words.

Gaia lands smoothly and immediately charges forward again.

"You're lying!" Daisy shouts, swinging her monstrous arms wildly. The strike hits several nearby cars, causing them to explode one by one.

Gaia leaps through the flames, soaring through the air with precision. She gets right in front of Daisy's face once more. "His name is—"

As she reveals the name, Daisy's eyes widen in shock. Her monstrous ghost form begins to shrink, and in an instant, she returns to her normal ghostly size.

Gaia then leads Daisy to the parking lot, stepping into the glowing magic circle. As they stand within its light, Gaia kneels beside Daisy, leaning in to whisper something into her ear. Daisy nods in understanding, then moves toward Ortis and wraps her arms around him in a tight embrace.

Ortis struggles, trying to break free, but Daisy's grip is too strong. He watches as Gaia taps her headset, speaking silently with her teammates, her lips moving but her voice unheard. His frustration boils over, his emotions surging.

"You think you're so smart, huh?! That you've done it all?! That you're above everyone else?! But you're wrong! I'm not the fourth ghost! Does it look like I'm possessed?!"

Gaia and the others don't even glance at him, their focus elsewhere. Ortis grits his teeth, jaw tightening as he struggles harder, but Daisy's grasp remains unyielding.

Gaia finishes speaking through the headset, and her team nods in agreement. Four of them take their places around the magic circle, sitting down and beginning to meditate, their breathing steady and controlled. The rest of the team disperses, disappearing into the dense forest.

Gaia taps her headset once more, speaking to the guide over a channel. "Mr. Guide, I would like for you to send me off with your congratulations in person after I clear the trail. A simple text in the sky isn't enough."

The guide's voice responds smoothly. "As you wish. I am delighted to see how far you've come. You are truly worthy of a Star… no… of a GOD!"

Gaia turns toward the old station as the guide materializes, his form assembling from cascading data pixels. He steps forward, clapping in approval.

Gaia stands tall, confidence radiating from her as she declares with her hand up, "Now, for the final steps!"

The magic circle intensifies, glowing brighter and brighter as all of Gaia's points reduces to zero. Suddenly, the spirits of the four meditating teammates begin to emerge from their bodies, ethereal figures stepping forward toward Daisy and Ortis.

Ortis lets out an emotional scream. "You know what?! I don't mind this at all! This is your downfall as a highly rated noble! You'll be shamed after this, because you're wrong!"

One of the spirits reaches out, its translucent hand pressing onto his shoulder. Ortis lets out a bitter laugh, his struggle fading as he surrenders to his fate. The other spirits close in, their presence undeniable.

As the guide watches, he smiles and claps nonstop behind Gaia, celebrating as the spirits press their hands onto Ortis's body. "It is done! Congratulations, Gaia, you've—"

Before he can finish, his expression shifts. Nothing happens. The spirits slowly remove their hands from Ortis.

Gaia remains calm. "For this ritual to work, those using their spirits must be fully confident that they have captured the final ghost. Only then can the ritual be complete. But as you can see, Ortis still stands. The ritual is still ongoing. It has not finished yet."

Ortis stops laughing, his mind racing as he recalls the moment Gaia whispered to Daisy. He didn't hear the words, but now, replaying the movement of her lips in his mind, he pieces it together.

"Hold onto Ortis until your brother arrives."

His eyes widen in realization. A slow chuckle escapes him before turning into full-blown laughter. "Well done, Lady Gaia!"

The guide's smile fades as he notices something shifting in the forest. Spirits—many of them—begin emerging from the trees. He turns, only to see even more spirits coming from the shadows, all closing in.

Gaia watches him. "I didn't want to drag you out myself. I believed this was the easier way."

The guide turns back to her, eyes narrowing. "So you've figured it out."

Gaia nods. "I'm impressed with this trial. The final ghost was you all along. After analyzing everything and reading the real origin book, it all made sense. Daisy was waiting to reunite with her twin brother—she was waiting for you. You were the one who ripped out those pages and rewrote the origin book." She pauses, her voice unwavering. "And I was one hundred percent sure it was you when I recalled the voice from the spirit box. It was the real guide's voice. The spirit that still looms around us, trying to find his body."

The guide's gaze flickers upward as the countdown timer in the sky ticks away—one hour and ten minutes remaining. He clenches his fists. "So you did all this just to bring me out, so you wouldn't have to play the cat-and-mouse game?" He scoffs. "Maybe you should've waited longer for your team to catch me by surprise before revealing that you knew it was me!"

Spinning on his heel, he rushes back toward the old station. Jumping into the seat, he slams a button. "I guess we're playing the cat-and-mouse game after all."

But nothing happens as he isn't being teleported away. His eyes dart downward to the transfer circle—completely unresponsive. His stomach drops as realization sets in.

Gaia tilts her head slightly. "I sent some of my team to meditate in the forest without you knowing and I sent some of my teammates ahead to the new station to destroy the transfer link there."

The guide lets out a dry chuckle, shaking his head. "So you've planned it all the way through, accounting for every step I might take afterward. How much more impressed do I need to be?"

Gaia remains composed. "Well, according to the origin book, once the name of the fourth ghost is spoken, the real one shall appear. Am I right… Tav?"

The moment the name leaves her lips, the guide's expression stiffens. His body tenses, his breath catching in his throat. Behind Gaia, a ghostly figure begins to materialize—an unmistakable presence. The real guide's spirit.

Tav barely has time to react before the spirit lunges at him, knocking him to the ground. The two wrestle furiously, the air around them crackling with energy. Gaia's other team spirits arrive just in time, swarming Tav, gripping his essence, and pulling him free from the guide's body.

They drag Tav toward the magic circle as Daisy releases Ortis, her eyes filled with joy. She throws her arms around Tav, holding him tightly. Tav struggles, his screams echoing through the night as the magic circle intensifies, its glow radiating outward.

The spirits place their hands on Daisy and Tav, their touch igniting a transformation. Tav and Daisy's eyes, ears, and mouths open wide as beams of radiant light burst forth. Their spiritual forms begin to ascend, intertwining in midair. Their essence twists and folds around each other before dissolving into pixelated dust, vanishing into the sky.

A ripple of energy pulses across the sky, causing the night sky to flicker and shift as the first light of dawn begins to emerge.

One by one, Gaia's teammates awaken as their spirits return to their bodies. From the forest, her team rushes out, breathless but victorious. Ortis is the first to move, running up to Gaia before dropping to one knee, bowing his head.

Gaia's gaze sweeps across her team. Without hesitation, they all follow Ortis, kneeling before her in silent acknowledgment.

Above them, the sky begins to glow, forming shifting clouds that shape into bold text— "You Passed."

A portal emerges from the rising sun, its golden light shimmering with an otherworldly glow.

Gaia stands tall, turning to her team. "Stars shall we all become."

With unwavering confidence, she steps forward, leading her team through the portal. Behind them, the guide stands at the edge of the old station, watching with a faint smile. He lifts his hand in farewell as they vanish into data pixel. 

Back in the data world, where the heads of the nobles gathered on the throne stage, their eyes fixed on the massive screens displaying the final results of the trials. The giant data cube glows brightly at the center, pulsating with energy.

Seated upon her grand throne, Terra slowly rises, her voice resonating throughout the vast data world. "The final trial is done! All those who have failed shall return to their chambers. And those who have emerges here are victorious… you are the future Stars!"

A thunderous round of applause erupts as the nobles across the digital world celebrate, their own screens lighting up with the announcement. The atmosphere hums with excitement as the surviving competitors comes out of the glowing data cube, their presence commanding the attention of the entire data world.

Terra gestures toward them and continues.

"Only four groups have emerged victorious. In fourth place, Rose Diamondfuel and five other nobles barely make it in time, with only three minutes remaining."

Rose is lying on the floor with the other nobles breathing heavy. As Terra points to the next group that arrives with their data piecing their bodies back. 

"In third place, Gaia Frostsilver and sixteen nobles successfully complete the trial with one hour and seven minutes to spare."

Gaia with her chin high up takes in all of the cheering as the rest of her team also celebrates happily. Terra then announces moves onto the next group. 

"In second place, Lars Platinumgrey and fifty-four nobles finish with three hours and twenty minutes left."

Lar stands with his chest out as the nobles behind him are in tears of joy. Terra then gestures to the final group. 

"And finally, in first place, Gilga Rubyfire and eighty-three nobles achieve an astounding time of six hours and forty minutes remaining!"

The chamber erupts in celebration, cheers echoing through the grand halls. As Gilga bows and the rest of the nobles behind him also bows with him. Gaia stands among her team, her gaze shifting toward Lars and Gilga. The two stand tall, exuding unwavering confidence, their presence commanding the admiration of those around them.

Terra raises her hand, and the room falls silent. Her voice rings with authority. "The final Noble Stars have been chosen. A total of 162 Noble Stars will enter this year's Star Games!"

The announcement sends a wave of excitement through the digital world. Cheers erupt once more as nobles and spectators alike celebrate the conclusion of the trials.

Amidst the applause, Gaia locks eyes with Lars and Gilga. A silent understanding passes between them—this was only the beginning. The air between them crackles with a competitive tension, an unspoken challenge exchanged in their gazes.

They all know the truth that they will make it far into the Star Games.


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