No one had time to prepare. No one had time to retreat.
In the midst of the chaos, suddenly —
Someone was already standing beside Marcus.
No one saw him arrive. No sound. No wind. Suddenly he was there, his yellow hair standing on end from static electricity, a lightning whip coiled around his arm.
Marcus turned. His eyes widened.
"You—"
All eyes also turned to the yellow-haired figure who had appeared from nowhere.
Zenless sighed. "Kiiro. The fastest. Never changes."
Kiiro smiled faintly. "Zenless. Still alive, I see."
---
The ground trembled.
Leon stopped in his tracks. Kazan planted his sword into the floor to steady himself. Nix, from behind the door of Xuánhú's chamber, nearly fell. Everyone felt it — vibrations from below, as if something massive was rising to the surface.
Two hands emerged from the marble floor — one metallic gray, one dark brown. Two people rose to the surface together, as if born from the stone itself.
All eyes turned to them. Leon gripped Lokantaka tighter. Kazan narrowed his eyes. Marcus stepped back.
Zenless was not surprised. "Chairo. Gin'iro. You two always come together."
Chairo stepped onto the ground. His first step sent cracks spreading in all directions. The marble floor, already broken from the previous battle, now shattered into pieces.
Gin'iro raised his shield. "We don't like pleasantries."
---
CRAAANG! CRASH! CRASH!
The third gate of the Nexus shattered right before their eyes.
Not from an explosion. But from ice and fire arriving simultaneously. All eyes turned to the ruins.
Someone stepped through the debris, a flaming spear in hand. Red fire burned the surrounding floor, leaving black marks and the smell of scorched stone. Behind him, another figure walked calmly, each step leaving glistening ice trails — cold, deadly, silent.
Between them, beyond the destroyed gate, dozens of Nexus soldiers lay scattered — half burned, half frozen. None moved. None survived.
Zenless smiled bitterly. "Daidaiiro. Ao. Fire and ice. Still together too."
Daidaiiro laughed. "We can't be separated."
"Quiet," Ao said coldly.
---
From one direction, a pale green mist began to fill the room, making the air feel heavy. Leon coughed. Kazan covered his nose. Nix, from behind the door, felt his throat itch.
Suddenly, blinding white light radiated from the ceiling — not from one source, but from the entire surface, as if a sun had suddenly appeared inside the room.
Everyone covered their eyes. Leon raised his hand. Kazan squinted. Marcus blinked in disbelief. Zenless hid his face behind his fan. Nix, from behind the door, turned away.
When the light faded, someone was already standing in the center of the room — silent, unmoving, their white eyes staring vacantly.
"Gurin. Shiro," said Zenless. "One likes to play. One never speaks."
Gurin smiled widely. Shiro didn't answer. He only stood.
---
Leon stepped back. He saw his own shadow — on the floor.
The shadow moved.
Not because of light. Not because of wind. But the shadow moved on its own — crawling, expanding, solidifying.
Kazan saw his own shadow — moving in the wrong direction. Nix, from behind the door, felt something cold touch his back, though no one was behind him. All eyes turned to the floor.
Someone emerged from that shadow. As if they had been there from the start, only invisible. As if they were a shadow that suddenly decided to become real.
"Aiiro," said Zenless. "Still like to hide."
Aiiro smiled faintly. "I don't hide. I wait for the right moment."
---
Daidaiiro and Ao had already entered. Behind them, beyond the shattered gate, dozens of Nexus soldiers lay scattered — half burned, half frozen.
But among those corpses, someone still walked.
Not hurried. Not rushed.
The figure stepped through the gate's ruins — past corpses, past still-burning flames, past still-frozen ice.
His face was calm. His eyes were cold. He smiled faintly — not a friendly smile, not a cynical smile. An unreadable smile.
He didn't brush the dust from his clothes. He didn't look at the corpses at his feet.
He just walked.
And everyone inside the room felt it — even though he hadn't entered yet.
Leon gripped Lokantaka. His hand trembled — not from fear, but because his body was responding to a threat not yet seen.
Kazan didn't move. His hand was still on his sword's hilt. But he didn't draw.
Nix, from behind the door of Xuánhú's chamber, stopped breathing.
Zenless — for yet another time — did not smile.
The figure stepped into the room.
Everyone who had just arrived stopped moving.
Kiiro lowered his whip, his eyes unblinking.
Chairo and Gin'iro stepped back — silently.
Daidaiiro extinguished his flame, his spear shrinking and vanishing.
Ao fell silent. The ice trails behind him stopped spreading.
Gurin no longer smiled. His face was empty.
Shiro bowed his head — for the first time, he showed respect.
Aiiro bent forward — his shadow shortened, as if afraid.
The figure didn't look at them. His eyes were only on Zenless.
"You've grown stronger, Zenless," he said, his voice calm. No mocking tone. Just fact.
Zenless didn't answer.
He continued walking to the center of the room. Not hurried. Each step was slow, but everyone felt it — like the steps of an invisible giant.
"But you're still here. Guarding the Nexus." He turned toward the door of Xuánhú's chamber. "Guarding what's inside."
---
In the corner of the room, Kal sat on the floor, his knees trembling. But his expression changed. Not fear. Not despair.
He smiled.
"Finally..." he whispered, his voice trembling but full of triumph. "...you came."
He turned toward Leon. His eyes were no longer empty — but arrogant.
"You see, Lord Zenless? I'm not alone. I have... friends who can destroy all of you."
"Friends?" Zenless looked at the nine figures beginning to encircle the room. "They're not your friends, Kal."
"Call it what you want." Kal stood, his body still trembling but he tried to stand straight. "The point is, they'll help me."
But his smile slowly faded.
He felt something at the back of his neck. Cold. Not the cold of Ao's ice — but a deeper cold. The cold of death.
"You—"
"We've arrived," the figure's voice came from behind him. Soft. Calm. Deadly.
The figure stood behind Kal, his hand already above Kal's head — not pressing, only touching. As if stroking. As if comforting.
"...now we will help you."
Kal froze. "Kin'iro... I—"
"Silence."
Kin'iro smiled. Not a friendly smile. A satisfied smile.
"You've already helped us, Kal. Our agreement is complete. We know this place now."
Kal tried to speak. "But I—"
"I said silence."
Kin'iro's hand gripped Kal's head. One motion. One grip.
CRACK.
No other sound. No scream.
Kal fell. Unmoving.
Kin'iro dropped Kal's body to the floor. His face still smiled — no regret, no guilt.
"Thank you for helping us," he said. "You were very useful."
He stepped over Kal's corpse.
"Now... we begin the discussion."
=== CHAPTER 38 END ===