The void trembled.
Not violently… but deeply.
Like something ancient had turned its attention toward them.
Far beyond the glowing platform, the darkness of the Void of Fallen Universe began to distort. Space folded inward, as if reality itself was being pressed by an invisible force.
Luka narrowed his eyes.
"…Yeah, I don't like this feeling."
Arna's mirrors spun faster, slicing through layers of space as she tried to analyze the disturbance.
"It's not just one presence…"
Her voice lowered.
"…there are many."
Aerito's expression changed.
The usual playful calmness in his eyes disappeared.
Instead—
Concern appeared.
He stepped forward slightly, staring into the distant void.
Then his eyes widened just a little.
"…No way."
Vicky glanced at him.
"What is it?"
Aerito didn't answer immediately.
The darkness ahead began to move.
Then—
Shapes appeared.
At first, they looked like shadows.
But as they came closer…
They took form.
Thousands.
Then tens of thousands.
Then—
Endless.
Figures began emerging from the distorted void.
Armored beings.
Some looked humanoid, others completely unnatural.
Their bodies radiated strange, corrupted energy.
Their presence alone was enough to bend space.
Luka slowly stepped back.
"…Okay."
"…That's not normal."
Arna whispered.
"There are at least hundreds of thousands…"
Her voice shook slightly.
"No… more…"
Aerito clenched his fist.
"…I knew it."
Vicky looked at him calmly.
"Explain."
Aerito took a slow breath.
Then spoke.
"These…"
"…are not normal enemies."
He looked at the approaching army.
Then said something that made the air heavier.
"They are subordinates."
Luka frowned.
"Subordinates of who?"
Aerito's voice dropped.
"Of the Ten Broken Gods."
Silence fell.
Even the void itself felt heavier after those words.
Vicky's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Gods?"
"Which gods?"
Aerito looked at him.
For a moment, hesitation appeared in his eyes.
Then he shook his head.
"These gods…"
"…have something to do with you."
"But I can't tell you more."
"Because of a promise."
Luka blinked.
"…A promise?"
"Seriously? This is not the time for secrets!"
Aerito ignored him.
Instead, he looked back at the approaching army.
"If you're going to face them…"
"…you should at least know who they serve."
His voice became serious.
And he began explaining.
"One…"
"The Null Crown."
"The one who rules over nothingness. Existence itself disappears near it."
"Two…"
"Veyrath, The Unmade Will."
"A being that was never fully created."
"Three…"
"The Last Silence."
"When it appears… all sound, all thought… everything ends."
"Four…"
"Orvex, Devourer of Moments."
"It consumes time itself—past, present, future."
"Five…"
"The Hollow Verdict."
"It decides who deserves to exist… and who must be erased."
"Six…"
"Kael'thir, The Broken Axis."
"It shatters reality's balance. Dimensions collapse around it."
"Seven…"
"The Ashen Origin."
"A corrupted beginning… where creation itself went wrong."
"Eight…"
"Zyraxx, The Thought Eater."
"It devours memories, identities… even ideas."
"Nine…"
"The Veil Collapse."
"It destroys the boundary between reality and illusion."
"And ten…"
Aerito's voice became heavier.
"Echoryn, The One Beyond Ending."
"A being that cannot end… an infinite threat."
Silence followed.
Even Luka didn't joke this time.
"…And these guys…"
He looked at the approaching army.
"…are their subordinates?"
Aerito nodded slowly.
"Yes."
"And there are at least a hundred thousand of them here."
Arna whispered.
"…We can't fight all of them."
For the first time—
Even Aerito looked troubled.
He thought for a moment.
Then suddenly spoke quickly.
"Master."
"We need to leave."
Vicky looked at him.
"…Run?"
Aerito nodded.
"Yes."
"Quietly."
"Slowly."
"Without attracting attention."
Luka blinked.
"…Did you just say run?"
Aerito whispered urgently.
"Yes!"
"These are not enemies you casually fight!"
"Even their subordinates are monsters!"
Arna nodded.
"He's right."
"We should retreat for now."
Vicky didn't argue.
He simply turned slightly.
"Fine."
They began stepping back.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Trying not to attract attention.
For a moment…
It worked.
The massive army continued moving forward.
Unaware.
Luka whispered.
"…Okay…"
"…this might actually work."
Aerito nodded nervously.
"Don't make noise."
"Don't look at them."
"Just move—"
Then suddenly—
A voice echoed.
Cold.
Absolute.
Inside everyone's mind.
"Law Violation Detected."
Everyone froze.
Luka slowly turned his head.
"…No."
Aerito's face went pale.
"…No no no—"
The voice continued.
"Target Presence: Hostile Entities."
Every single subordinate stopped moving.
At once.
Like puppets.
Then—
They all turned.
At the same time.
Toward Vicky and his group.
Silence.
Luka whispered.
"…We're dead."
Aerito grabbed his head.
"ARE YOU SERIOUS?!"
"IT HAD TO SPEAK RIGHT NOW?!"
Arna covered her face.
"…This is bad."
Very bad.
Then—
The army moved.
All at once.
A tidal wave of power rushed toward them.
Million of soldiers.
Charging.
The void shook violently.
Luka drew his weapon.
"Alright!"
"Guess we're fighting!"
But before anyone could move—
The Rule of Code spoke again.
This time louder.
More dominant.
"Judgment Initiated."
Vicky's body suddenly began to rise.
He started floating above the platform.
The air around him distorted.
A glowing symbol appeared on his forehead.
The Mark of Judgment.
It shined brighter than ever before.
His eyes glowed faintly.
Inside his mind—
The Rule spoke.
"Law Execution: Absolute Null Decree."
The moment those words were spoken—
Everything stopped.
The charging army froze mid-motion.
Space itself went silent.
Then—
A pulse.
A single invisible wave spread outward from Vicky.
No explosion.
No sound.
Just—
Erasure.
The moment the wave touched the army—
They vanished.
Not destroyed.
Not burned.
Not broken.
Erased.
Completely.
As if they had never existed.
Screams echoed for a brief second—
Then silence.
Within a single moment…
Hundreds of thousands of subordinates disappeared.
The void became empty again.
Dead silent.
Luka slowly lowered his weapon.
"…What."
Arna stared blankly.
"…They're gone."
Aerito looked at Vicky in disbelief.
"…Master…"
Vicky slowly descended back to the ground.
The glowing mark faded.
His expression remained calm.
But inside—
He was shocked.
"…That was…"
"…a low-level law?"
He looked at his hand.
"If this is low level…"
"…then what is high level?"
Aerito walked closer.
Still stunned.
"Master…"
"How did you do that?"
Vicky shook his head slightly.
"I didn't."
He looked forward.
"The Rule of Code did."
Silence fell again.
But far away—
In another place.
A dark void.
A single figure stood.
Only its eyes were visible.
Glowing faintly in the darkness.
It had been watching everything.
Silently.
Then it spoke.
A low, chilling voice.
"So…"
"It has begun again."
The eyes glowed brighter.
"The return of destruction…"
"The return of law…"
"And the return of the Origin."
A pause.
Then—
A faint smile formed in the darkness.
"The Ancient Era…"
"…will awaken once more."
To be continued…