Nightmare, an S-class operative, had become a monster hunted by Kitsune and reviled by all.
The people of the world shared a common enemy, yet they remained oblivious to the fact that the true monsters sat upon the throne.
Even if he spoke the truth, who would believe him?
The era of terror had arrived, elevating Kitsune's status in the hearts of the people to an absolute degree; any dissent was utterly futile.
As Nightmare walked the streets, observing the frightened and uneasy faces, he truly began to waver.
Was his path a mistake?
Should he have assisted Byakuya instead of opposing him?
But Byakuya was a monster as well.
Right and wrong, truth and lies—Nightmare could no longer distinguish between them.
The world had become a stagnant pool. The boundaries between justice and evil were now ambiguous and hazy.
It was as if the world never truly possessed objective right or wrong, nor absolute justice or evil; there were only the shifting inclinations of the human heart.
Before understanding the truth, what you perceived as justice was merely the version of justice someone else intended for you to see.
Once the truth of the world is laid bare, whether a thing is just or unjust, good or evil, resides only within one's own heart.
Chino had forged this world with her own hands. While none knew where it was headed, one certainty remained.
Even if Chino turned toward the light, using her colossal form to shield all of humanity, she would still be considered evil.
Why?
Because the larger the body, the larger the shadow it casts. Those living under her protection also lived beneath her shadow.
In a world draped in shadows, filled with decay and darkness, could this truly be the ultimate solution for peace?
...
Europe.
The old man, Balance, shook his head as he looked down at the rioting city below. "The so-called light and darkness are nothing more than convenient excuses for self-interest."
"Darkness may represent greed and desire, but light exploits morality and rules to constrain the masses. Its essence is likewise the satisfaction of selfish desires."
"On the surface, they oppose each other like fire and water. Yet neither side can claim to be truly righteous or truly evil."
"All life is chaotic. There is no absolute good, nor absolute evil. Humans are contradictory beings, where both good and evil coexist."
Swordsmith turned his head. "How did the conversation turn to this?"
Balance chuckled softly. "Because there have always been those who exploit the concepts of good and evil for personal gain. This time, however, the agenda is being brought directly to the table."
"It is a remarkably simple path, yet some choose not to understand it."
"To be honest, I don't understand it either," Swordsmith remarked.
Hearing this, Balance pointed to a figure below. "Then look at him. Do his body and his shadow not exist as one?"
"The shadow is a person's dark side. It coexists with their bright side; they are inherently a single entity."
"If no light shines, a person has no shadow. Darkness exists only where there is light. To sweep away the darkness is to eliminate a fundamental part of oneself."
"When the sun sets here, it rises there."
"Therefore, the true path to peace is not to intensify the conflict between light and darkness until a victor is crowned."
"The way of Yin and Yang, passed down from antiquity, is how the world functions. Following nature is the true Great Dao."
"If you ask me what evil is, then those who attempt to divide good and evil are the true evil."
"Because true peace is the coexistence of both."
Swordsmith scratched his head. "But if that is the case, will there ever be a resolution?"
Balance turned back. "If separating Yin and Yang is the only way to reach a result, then that result must be a fallacy."
...
While a passionate movement was underway elsewhere, certain monsters brazenly entered Kitsune to become containment personnel.
This was Chino's "recruitment."
One could either obey or be labeled a monster by Kitsune and await destruction.
It appeared to be a choice, but in reality, no choice existed.
Those of the 4th Step dominated the world. Those of the 3rd Step could only survive by finding the gaps. Anyone below the 3rd Step merely drifted with the wind, following the majority.
Only the 4th Step beings could truly decide their own destiny.
The Frost King soared overhead on his Frost Dragon. Several missiles were launched directly toward him.
The Frost King simply clapped his hands. The missiles were instantly frozen mid-air, plummeting to the ground.
Simultaneously, countless figures condensed from red mist appeared before him.
"Is it my turn now?"
Shino looked at the Frost King. "You have a choice."
A choice?
The Frost King stood upon the back of his dragon and extended his hand. "If I refuse, you will hunt me relentlessly, leaving me no moment of peace and dragging this battle on forever."
If he sought peace, he only had to accept the offer.
"I agree."
Upon hearing this, Shino's red mist form drifted away with the wind.
The Frost King shook his head. He did not fear Kitsune, nor did he fear anyone else. He simply wished to avoid meaningless combat.
Just as Shino could not kill the Frost King, the Frost King could not kill Shino.
If they continued to fight, there would never be an outcome.
...
A certain location in Europe.
Arthur, carrying a white long saber, entered the city's sewer system.
Rats were everywhere. The Rat King had been driven underground.
Hearing footsteps, the Rat King spun around.
"Who goes there?"
Arthur smiled and waved. "Don't be nervous, it's only me."
The Rat King recognized the newcomer and exhaled in relief. "You startled me. I thought it was the group hunting me. Why are you here?"
Arthur stepped forward. "I came specifically for you. Tell me, are you interested in slaying gods?"
Slaying gods?
"Who exactly are you talking about?"
"For example, Kitsune. Or perhaps those 4th Step monsters."
"Have you lost your damn mind?!"
"What is there to be afraid of?"
"I'm afraid of dying!"
Arthur's smile gradually faded. "So what is your plan? Do you intend to accept their recruitment and join Kitsune?"
The Rat King's face twisted with conflict. "There is no other way. For ants like us who haven't reached the 4th Step, merely surviving is a blessing."
Arthur observed him, his wrist flicking. "Is that so..."
Whoosh!
Suddenly, the sound of tearing air erupted. The saber in Arthur's hand extended infinitely, piercing through the Rat King's chest.
Pfft!
The Rat King's eyes widened as he stared at the extended blade. "You!"
Puff!
Before the Rat King could finish, Arthur gripped the saber with both hands and sliced downward, instantly cleaving the Rat King's body in two.
This saber had been gifted to him by 020 Computer, also known as Otto.
The blade utilized nanometer technology, capable of arbitrary extension, retraction, and bending. It was a weapon custom-made for Arthur.
With this blade, his Absolute Piercing and Absolute Severance would undergo a qualitative change.
Most importantly, it allowed for lethal surprise attacks.
"Since we cannot be friends, we can only be enemies. Rather than facing your sword later, I might as well kill you now," Arthur said indifferently.
Chirp, chirp, chirp...
With the Rat King slain, the rats in the sewer immediately scattered.
The blade in Arthur's hand retracted to its original size. He twirled the weapon before sheathing the nano-saber at his waist.
"One down. Who's next?"
Arthur had come for the Rat King, but his mission extended further. He sought to eliminate all monsters not yet recruited by Kitsune.
If negotiations failed, Arthur would end the opponent with a single strike.
After all, if they refused him, they would eventually join Kitsune.
And joining Kitsune meant becoming an enemy later.
Eliminating them now was the most logical decision.
As Arthur departed, countless rats swarmed together, reforming into the Rat King.
Arthur was apparently unaware that the Rat King was pseudo-immortal, a trait that only manifested after he was contained.
However, the two had indeed met before, as the Rat King had once released Arthur during a containment breach.
The Rat King looked toward the exit of the sewer. "This god-slayer came to find me now. I suspect he may actually possess the power to challenge Kitsune."
"No, I must observe this further."
Number 035: Plague Rat King.
...
As Chaos Insurgency, rising like a phoenix from the ashes, began its operations, time gradually slipped away. Yet, Kitsune's faction remained surprisingly still, making no major moves.
Instead, during this period, the majority of monsters below the 4th Step defected to Kitsune's side.
The first 4th Step being unable to restrain himself was The Vermin.
"A lone Serpent's Hand cannot sustain Kitsune's grand stage. There must be other 4th Step entities among them."
"Red Mist might be one of the behind-the-scenes collaborators. As for the Sea King... no, we lack a connection to the Dream World. Even if he could participate, it would only be as a fleeting wisp of consciousness."
The Vermin spoke to himself, failing to notice a shadowy figure slowly encroaching upon him.
"Insect, do you still recognize me?"
Hm?
The Vermin heard the voice and spun around, only to find 009, clad in the Chaos Holy Armor, suddenly manifesting before him!
By scent alone, The Vermin instantly identified the intruder.
But how had he been compromised?
The Vermin's current sanctuary was deep beneath the African crust—a subterranean abyss he had excavated himself. Under normal circumstances, he should have been undetectable.
"How did you track me down?"
Hearing The Vermin's question, 009 grinned. The visage of his Chaos Holy Armor shifted in tandem with his expression. "Under this heaven, there is no one who can remain hidden from me."
Ah, I remember now, The Vermin thought. This wretch possesses Absolute Hit.
The Vermin bared his teeth in a grotesque smile. "So, have you come to serve yourself up as dessert?"
"On the contrary," 009 countered. "I intend to make a meal out of you!"
With a casual flick of his wrist, 009's armored right arm—and the flesh beneath it—began to contort violently, reshaping itself into the silhouette of a blade. A second later, a jagged bone saber erupted from the churning black mass, solidifying into form.
This was a recent split. Since his evolution, 009's ability was no longer a chaotic roll of the dice; it had become Directed Split.
If he required a weapon, he could manifest one. However, this direction lacked surgical precision; he could designate a "blade," but he could not dictate its exact aesthetic or smithing details.
Now, he had designated Cold Weapon Split, condensing this bone saber. While 009 didn't yet know the blade's specific properties, he knew it wasn't ordinary. Nothing he brought forth now lacked a Rule-based edge.
009 shattered the ground with a single step, lunging toward The Vermin!
In response, The Vermin unleashed his colossal form, countless chitinous joints twisting like living spears to impale the intruder. Yet, 009 flickered through the air with impossible fluidity, ghosting past every strike before plunging the bone saber deep into The Vermin's mandible!
Puff, puff!!
The sound of shearing organic matter echoed through the pit. Foul green ichor erupted from the wound, drenching 009. In that same heartbeat, The Vermin's entire body went rigid. Every joint, every muscle, was instantly paralyzed.
Was this the saber's trait? A neurotoxin?
No, it was far more absolute than mere chemistry. The Vermin was immune to poison. This was a Rule-based suppression.
009 wrenched the bone blade free. The Vermin's massive frame collapsed into the dirt, his multitude of eyes fixed in a state of shock upon his assailant.
"I can fathom the rest... but your 3rd Step vessel... how can it exert 4th Step strength?"
The Vermin's instinct was correct. 009 was fundamentally a 3rd Step entity, yet he was channeling the raw authority of a 4th Step. It was an unprecedented anomaly.
009 approached with measured steps. "Curious, aren't you? Good. The more you want to know, the less I'll tell you."
The Vermin thrashed, trying to regain his footing, but his body refused to obey. "What is your endgame?"
009 answered by driving his saber back into the beast's flank. "Nothing elaborate. I simply require samples of your flesh and blood for my research."
"I know killing this avatar is futile," 009 continued. "But understand this: if I can find you, I can use the same method to locate your sister."
"Choose your path carefully. Will you assist me, or will you suffer the indignity of being removed from the board by a 'mere' 3rd Step like me?"
The Vermin's countless eyes widened in fury. "Then I truly am—"
Puff, puff!
Before the beast could finish, 009 brought his heel down with bone-shattering force, bursting one of The Vermin's primary eyes. "I've discovered I'm a rather spiteful man. You had the audacity to consume me once. If I don't dissect you at least once in return, I'll never find peace."
The blood feud between them was deep. The Vermin had once swallowed 009 whole, intending to seal him away forever. He hadn't expected 009 to trigger a Nuclear Fission within his own gut. Back then, The Vermin feared atomic weaponry. Ironically, the subsequent Cobalt Bombs released by others had saturated the environment with radiation, causing The Vermin to mutate until he could feast on the fallout.
As 009 methodically harvested core tissue samples, The Vermin let out a dark, rattling laugh.
"Had enough?" the beast taunted. "If not, take what you like. I have plenty to spare."
Securing the samples in a specialized containment unit, 009 sat down directly atop The Vermin's head.
"The venting is over. Let's talk business."
The Vermin: "Such as the destruction of Kitsune?"
009: "Kitsune is a footnote. They are irrelevant. What matters are the 4th Step entities pulling their strings."
"Their exact numbers remain a mystery, but one 4th Step ally won't be enough to tip the scales. I need a coalition."
"Just like we did with Byakuya."
A swarm of lesser insects crawled over The Vermin, knitting his wounds back together. "That's a poor comparison. To us, Byakuya was a minor nuisance."
Easy to say when you weren't the one bleeding, 009 thought.
"That's because you never truly faced him," 009 retorted with a sneer. "Of all the monsters I've encountered, no one ever struck me with a blow I couldn't recover from. Not you, not the Sea King. But Byakuya? He did."
The Vermin: "Whatever Byakuya was, he is history. Tell me, how do you intend to handle Kitsune?"
...
With the onset of the Era of Terror, unity remained a distant dream; not every nation or ethnic group stood together.
Upon hearing news of the monsters, some immediately lost all composure, spiraling into civil strife.
Robbery, arson, murder, and rampant warfare broke out as countless opportunists exploited the burgeoning chaos.
This was the unavoidable fallout of entering the Era of Terror. Yet, the one who had initiated this age remained indifferent.
However, someone did care.
Daima.
As she traversed the barren landscapes and smoldering ruins, her eyes fell upon a pair of sisters huddled together. At that sight, Daima's pupils darkened, growing deeper and deeper.
Looking at those girls, she felt as if she were staring into a mirror of her own past.
She once had a younger brother. Their homeland had been ravaged by the invasions of powerful nations—empires that mercilessly slaughtered her people and carved up her country's territory.
Under the devastation of war, countless families were torn apart.
Daima and her brother were among the casualties of fate. They had clung to each other just like the sisters before her.
Until the day a missile descended from the sky, reducing her younger brother to a charred, unrecognizable mass of flesh.
In that moment, Daima's world shattered, and she surrendered to a scream of pure madness.
Later that same day, a man in military uniform found her. He told her the war was over and offered to take her to safety.
But Daima did not seek rescue; she lunged forward and bit the soldier's hand, tearing away his glove.
There, etched upon the soldier's flesh, the 079 Game Pattern suddenly appeared.
Upon seeing that pattern, Daima received her invitation and entered the Death Game.
She struggled within that nightmare for months, eventually earning an audience with the Administrator.
And thus, she became 039.
Observing the silent Daima, a blonde woman approached and gently patted the girl's head.
The woman stroked her hair, her voice soothing yet cold: "Don't be sad. Big sister will eliminate everyone who hurt you. Not a single one will be missed."
Daima turned to look at Queen Bee. "Then what are we waiting for?"
Queen Bee's chest split wide, and Daima transformed into a black shadow, burrowing deep into the cavity to devour Queen Bee's heart!
In its place, Daima herself became a black, pulsing heart, anchoring herself within Queen Bee's body.
Queen Bee's golden pupils flickered as a fierce, predatory killing intent ignited in her eyes. An indistinct black substance began to bleed across her skin, yet Queen Bee felt no discomfort.
On the contrary, she felt an unusual, surging exhilaration!
Queen Bee's lips twisted into a jagged grin, and her wings involuntarily erupted from her back!
With a Demon Heart pulsating within her and a complete immunity to spiritual interference, Queen Bee had become untouchable. Even an opponent possessing Peak 5th Step mental power could not hope to breach this safeguard.
"With Sea King serving as the engine behind Kitsune, you and I united will make him look like a total farce."
...
Deep within Kitsune.
Reinhard and Yang Lin—the latter's eyes glowing with a faint green light—stared at one another in a long, heavy silence.
"Looking at the clock, the time is almost upon us."
At Yang Lin's words, Reinhard turned his head. To Sea King, "time" meant the arrival of the final, decisive confrontation.
Among the 4th Step entities, there were four individuals guaranteed to clash with them.
Ye Long, The Vermin, True Ancestor, and Queen Bee.
With Ye Long currently sealed, only three remained at large.
The Frost King's position had been clarified. While they couldn't rely on him to aid Chino, he at least wouldn't be joining the opposition.
Of course, in this world, nothing was absolute; there was always that one-in-a-million chance for a betrayal.
The True Ancestor and the Frost King appeared to have struck some kind of bargain, though from the current perspective, the terms of that agreement hadn't yet been fulfilled.
So, what had Kitsune been doing during this recruitment phase besides gathering personnel?
In truth, they had focused on only two tasks: saturating the world with propaganda and speeches, and distributing small guardian statues to the populace. They claimed these icons would ward off monsters and shield believers from harm.
Strangely, those small statues were actually fragments of Chino's primary body.
Beyond that, it was a cycle of endless meetings.
As one summit followed another, Chino's mental contamination seeped deeper into society, gradually hypnotizing and numbing the minds of high-ranking officials across the globe.
These were their preparations. Yet, curiously, Shino and Hydra remained absent during this critical window.
These two 4th Step beings were the cornerstone of their combat strength. With the decisive battle looming, Chino had issued a baffling command.
She instructed them to ignore her and simply focus on their duties. She claimed that within Kitsune, only two people were needed to hold the line.
The "two" she referred to were, naturally, Reinhard and Chino.
Both possessed 5th Step mental power, and Reinhard boasted a 4th Step physical vessel. Armed with the Line of Equilibrium, he was a match for anyone.
But what if they faced more than three 4th Step opponents?
What if Balance—who had absorbed the power of Taiji—or the Frost King joined the fray?
If Shino were present, she could handle those two. But Chino seemed to have her own hidden agenda.
Regardless, Shino remained uneasy and had left a contingency plan behind.
It rested within the Departed Soul inhabiting Byakuya's remains.
While the Departed Soul lacked Byakuya's original abilities, he still commanded 4th Step raw strength. After all, Byakuya's corpse was undeniably a 4th Step vessel.
However, he was a hollow shell—possessing the physical stats but none of the specialized techniques. He could crush lower-tier enemies, but against a true peer of the same rank, he wouldn't stand a chance.
To remedy this, Red Mist had planted a "seed" within him, allowing the Departed Soul Byakuya to temporarily channel Red Mist's unique powers.
To meet the coming storm, Reinhard ordered the Departed Soul Byakuya to drag his chair outside and sit at the entrance.
It was exactly how the original Byakuya had treated other monsters in the past.
The Departed Soul, however, was anything but calm.
"Wait, what?"
"No... do you actually think I can pull off a Byakuya impression?!"
"I don't have Taiji! Those people coming are genuine 4th Step monsters. If I sit here and wait for them, aren't I just waiting for my execution?"
Reinhard reached out and squeezed his shoulder, whispering coldly, "If you want to keep breathing, stay in that chair."
"You don't need to fight. Just watch. Do you understand?"
Staring into the red mask and the piercing eyes beneath it, the Departed Soul swallowed hard. "Okay... Okay, I get it."
Reinhard then turned to Yang Lin, only to find him with eyes squeezed shut, lost in thought—or perhaps communicating with someone.
Indeed, Chino was currently in contact with Shino. The specifics were trivial; they were merely reflecting on the past.
Back then, Shino had died. Chino had abandoned her own path to evolution, begging Mei for the potion intended for her so she could bring Shino back.
Whenever she thought of it, Shino couldn't help but wonder: if their roles were reversed, would she have done the same?
Her internal answer was always: Without hesitation.
Chino felt the same. No matter how many times the choice was presented, he would always choose to save Shino.
Because Shino was his brother. It was as simple as that.
Suddenly, Yang Lin snapped his eyes open. "They've arrived."
A moment later, a figure marched into the courtyard, coming to a halt before the group.
The intruder wore black armor, his eyes glowing with a sinister purple hue as surges of Chaos Flame licked at his frame.
It was 009.
Casting a glance at the Departed Soul Byakuya sitting in the pavilion, 009 felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
"History... it really does have a way of repeating itself."