The moment Luka's eyes opened—
—the world around him seemed to hesitate.
The fractured sky above the fragment-realm dimmed for a fraction of a second, as if something older than the realm itself had just awakened within it. The ancient formation beneath his feet continued to rotate in layered patterns, but now it was no longer guiding the process—
—it was struggling to contain it.
A deep, silent pressure spread outward from Luka's body.
Not violent.
Not chaotic.
But heavy.
Like the presence of something that had once stood at the peak of existence and was now remembering how to stand again.
Kael took two steps back without realizing it.
"…Why does it feel like the air just got heavier?"
Eren didn't answer.
Arelia's eyes were locked on Luka, unblinking.
Arna's mirrors had completely stopped moving.
Even Aerito, who rarely showed true surprise, had gone quiet.
At the center—
Luka stood still.
But he was no longer the same.
His appearance had changed.
Not drastically in shape—but in presence.
His hair, once slightly messy and ordinary, now carried a faint metallic sheen under the broken light of the sky, as if strands of silver and dusk had fused together. His facial features had sharpened—not into something unnatural, but into something perfectly balanced. His eyes… his eyes were no longer just expressive—they were deeper now, carrying faint traces of ancient patterns that shimmered when the light touched them.
He looked—
undeniably more handsome.
But more than that—
He looked like someone who belonged to a higher era.
Kael blinked rapidly.
"…Why do you suddenly look like the main character of someone else's story?"
Luka slowly raised his hand, staring at it as if seeing it for the first time.
"I…" he muttered, his voice quieter than usual, "…feel different."
Then it hit.
A surge of energy exploded outward from his body—
Not destructive.
But expansive.
His aura flared into existence, forming layered currents of dark silver and faint gold that spiraled around him like living threads. The ground beneath his feet cracked slightly—not from force, but from pressure density.
And then—
Something new appeared.
Two weapons.
From behind him, space itself bent inward—and from that distortion, two long spears emerged.
They were not ordinary weapons.
Their shafts were dark, almost void-like, with faint inscriptions that seemed to shift when looked at directly. The tips glowed with a dim, unreadable light—not bright, not obvious—but dangerous.
They floated beside Luka, slowly rotating.
Waiting.
Kael pointed instantly.
"WHY DO YOU HAVE TWO SPEARS?!"
Luka stared at them. "…I don't know."
Aerito narrowed his eyes. "…Those aren't normal weapons."
Arna whispered softly, "They're responding to him…"
Vicky said nothing.
But his gaze had sharpened.
Then—
A flood of information entered Luka's mind.
He staggered slightly, gripping his head.
"—Tch…!"
Visions.
Names.
Powers.
They came all at once.
And then—
He spoke.
"…New abilities…"
Everyone looked at him.
Luka lowered his hand slowly, his breathing steadying.
"They're… forming."
Kael raised both hands. "Please tell me they have normal names."
Luka looked at him.
"They don't."
"…Of course they don't."
Luka stepped forward once.
And the air shifted again.
"I can feel them…"
He closed his eyes briefly—
Then opened them with clarity.
"First—'Aether Rend Dominion'."
A faint ripple spread across the space around him.
"This ability allows me to tear through layered dimensions and force a direct path between attacks. No matter how many defenses exist… I can cut through them."
Eren's eyes sharpened immediately.
Arelia's aura reacted instinctively.
Luka continued.
"Second—'Eclipse Vector Shift'."
His body flickered.
For a moment—
He existed in two positions at once.
Then merged back.
"I can alter my position across multiple directional timelines… making my movement unpredictable even to those who can see the future."
Kael slowly turned toward the others.
"…I think we're in danger."
"No," Aerito said calmly. "We're just standing near it."
Luka looked at his hands again.
"There's more…"
"Of course there is," Kael whispered.
"Third—'Null Spiral Ascension'."
The two spears behind him rotated once—
And the air around them warped.
"I can generate spiraling energy constructs that collapse enemy attacks into nothingness before redirecting that energy back."
Arna's eyes widened slightly.
"That's…"
"Advanced," Aerito finished quietly.
Luka exhaled slowly.
"…There are more… but they're incomplete."
Vicky nodded once.
"That's enough for now."
But inside—
He was already thinking ahead.
Rule of Code.
The voice responded instantly.
"Listening."
Why are Aerito and Arna still incomplete? They already have my cell.
A short pause.
Then:
"Because they have not activated its true function."
Vicky's eyes narrowed.
Explain.
"The cell within them exists—but its core authority remains dormant. Without activation, it only stabilizes their existence. It does not elevate them fully."
Vicky folded his arms.
Then how do I activate it?
This time—
The Rule did not hesitate.
"There is another method."
Moments later—
Vicky stepped forward again.
"Aerito. Arna."
Both of them looked at him.
"We're not done."
Aerito smiled slightly. "I was hoping you'd say that."
Arna nodded calmly. "Tell us what to do."
The second formation began.
This time—
It was faster.
Stronger.
More precise.
Unlike Luka's fusion—
This was activation.
The ancient patterns reformed beneath their feet, but now they reacted instantly, recognizing something already present within their bodies.
Vicky raised his hand.
The formation ignited.
The reaction was immediate.
Aerito's body flared with crimson fire—but this time it wasn't just flame.
It was controlled destruction.
His aura expanded, then compressed violently—
Then exploded outward in a refined state.
His appearance changed subtly—his features becoming sharper, more defined, his presence heavier. His flames turned deeper, richer—carrying a faint golden edge within the red.
Aerito laughed softly.
"…Now this feels right."
New power surged through him.
"…New abilities…"
He looked at his hand.
"'Crimson Singularity Breaker'."
A small sphere of condensed fire formed—
But inside it, space bent.
"I can compress destructive energy into a singular point and release it as absolute impact."
Kael whispered, "…I don't like that name."
"No one asked," Luka replied.
Then—
A weapon appeared.
From a tear in space—
A sword descended into Aerito's hand.
Its blade shimmered with deep crimson and gold patterns, ancient inscriptions flowing across it like living fire.
Aerito looked at it.
"…This…"
He didn't finish.
But his grip tightened.
At the same time—
Arna's transformation began.
Her mirrors shattered—
Then reformed instantly.
Her aura shifted into something far more refined, layered with illusion and spatial distortion. Her beauty… changed.
Not just increased—
Elevated.
Her presence became mesmerizing—her eyes deeper, her features more radiant, as if reality itself had adjusted to highlight her existence.
Kael blinked rapidly.
"…Okay that's unfair."
Arelia silently stared.
Even she couldn't deny it—
Arna had become gorgeous beyond normal standards.
Arna raised her hand.
"…New abilities…"
Her voice was soft.
"'Infinite Mirage Dominion'."
The space around her fractured into overlapping illusions.
"I can create layered realities—false, true, and hybrid—and control perception completely."
Eren narrowed his eyes.
"…That's dangerous."
"Yes," Arna replied calmly.
Then—
A mirror appeared in her hand.
Not like her usual ones.
This one was larger, darker—
Ancient.
Its surface reflected nothing normally.
Only when tilted did faint shadows move within it.
Arna looked at it.
"…I understand."
Kael pointed. "No, explain for the rest of us!"
Arna spoke calmly.
"Anyone trapped inside this mirror… can be sealed permanently."
Silence.
"…They become bound to me."
Kael slowly lowered his hand.
"…That is terrifying."
Then—
The voice of the Rule of Code echoed.
This time—
Everyone heard it.
"The weapons you have received—spears, sword, mirror—belong to the Master."
All three froze.
"They are rewards. Each weapon contains a portion of his Ancient Era power."
Shock.
Real shock.
Aerito looked at his sword.
Luka at his spears.
Arna at her mirror.
And then—
A vision flashed through all three of their minds.
A memory.
Ancient.
A battlefield.
A galaxy.
Countless powerhouses—
Ancient Era beings.
Standing together.
Facing one figure.
Vicky.
He raised his hand.
Spoke a single word.
And the galaxy—
collapsed.
Erased.
Not slowly.
Not violently.
Simply—
ended.
The vision vanished.
They returned to the present.
Silence filled the platform.
Kael whispered, "…What… was that?"
No one answered.
Because even they—
didn't fully understand.
Arna slowly turned.
She lifted her mirror—
And saw herself.
For a second—
She just stared.
Then—
She smiled.
A genuine, bright smile.
And suddenly—
She walked straight to Vicky.
And kissed him.
Everyone froze.
Completely.
Kael's brain stopped.
Eren blinked.
Arelia's eyes widened slightly.
Luka stared.
Aerito looked utterly betrayed.
"…At least have some shame in front of your brother."
Arna pulled back, completely calm.
"Today is a special day."
Vicky stood there—
Still processing.
"…That was unexpected."
Kael pointed wildly. "THAT WAS MORE THAN UNEXPECTED—"
"No one asked," Luka said.
Then—
Their attention shifted.
Toward Eren.
Arelia.
Kael.
Aerito spoke first.
"Master… what about them?"
Arna nodded.
"They should receive it too."
Luka added quietly, "They deserve the chance."
Vicky looked at them.
"…Alright."
He stepped forward.
"I'll do it."
But before he could—
The voice echoed again.
"Denied."
Everyone froze.
"Their bodies are not ready."
Vicky frowned.
"Then what should we do?"
The void trembled.
And suddenly—
A massive object appeared in the distance.
A planet.
Floating.
Radiant.
Beautiful beyond words.
Covered in glowing forests, rivers of light, and skies filled with shifting energy streams.
Everyone stared.
Kael whispered, "…Is that real?"
"This planet contains Universal Energy."
The Rule of Code spoke.
"Through training here, their bodies will evolve enough to accept the cell."
Eren stepped forward.
Arelia's eyes sharpened.
Kael clenched his fists.
Vicky looked at them.
"Are you ready?"
They didn't hesitate.
Eren: "Yes."
Arelia: "We're ready."
Kael: "…I'm scared—but yes."
The planet glowed brighter.
The next stage had begun.
And this time—
they would all rise.
To be continued...