NYOKO
The place itself where we were... had ceased to be a place at all. Even what remains of a city has some order; even destruction has its own logic. But here... even that was absent. The ground felt like a different reality under each step I took—solid when I took one step, an empty echo the next. The ruins of collapsed buildings were not merely shattered; they had elongated and twisted, contradicting their own shadows. Instead of collapsing to the ground, some walls remained suspended in the air; when looking through their broken surfaces toward the interior, a different moment from the same place was visible from a different angle. It was as if even time did not flow in a single line here but existed fragmented and overlapping.
This scene... didn't seem to me like ordinary devastation left behind after a war. The broken stones around us, the traces of weapons embedded in the ground, the cracked ground, or the energy particles still not fully dispersed in the air... none of these were the real cause of the heaviness I felt inside. Because right now, I wasn't just seeing a destroyed space. It was as if everything two people had carried within them for years had collided here. Suppressed anger. Unspoken sentences. Lost time. Unforgiven mistakes. And the worst part... the bonds that still haven't completely been severed. All of this seemed to have permeated this space. That's why the silence that lingered here felt heavier to me than all the destruction around us. Because just now, it wasn't just forces that clashed here. Histories collided.
And the two figures standing at the exact center of that intersection…
Now it was completely motionless.
But for some reason, this inactivity frightened me more than the battle itself.
Because there are some silences; within them, one feels thousands of unspoken sentences. That's exactly what I was feeling right now. As the wind gently passed through the ruins, it stirred up fine dust on the ground; small sparks of energy dancing across the broken ground still trembled as if unable to forget the conflict that had just taken place. But I couldn't focus on them. My eyes kept returning to them. The way they looked at each other... there was something beyond ordinary hostility. One could only look at someone they once truly cared about like that. And the moment I realized this, a strange pain arose within me.
Because at that moment I realized this:
People didn't always start hating each other.
Sometimes the battle they fought to not lose each other would gradually turn into something that hurt them both.
And that was exactly what stood between them.
It wasn't a war.
It was an unfinished past.
Magnus's stance had not changed. Still upright, still unshakable. But the black flames around him... this time they burned differently. This was not the fire of attack or defense. This was... the outward expression of something that had been suppressed. The flames were curling more intensely, more darkly, more "deeply"; it was as if they had reached a point where they could burn not only matter but also meaning.
Clown, on the other hand, was the complete opposite.
He wasn't constant.
He... couldn't be constant.
Although his body remained in the same place, his presence was constantly changing. One moment his posture straightened, the next his shoulders slumped, and then he moved with theatrical grace like a stage actor. The expressions on his face did not follow the natural flow of emotions a human being might experience; they... did not occur sequentially but overlapped. Joy, contempt, anger, admiration... all surfaced at the same time, but in different moments.
And I… realized that what stood between these two beings was no longer a "moment."
This was… the accumulation of years, perhaps even centuries.
When Magnus spoke, his voice was so clear it could be heard above even the broken structure of the space we were in. His words did not come hastily. Each one found its place slowly, as if they had always been there and he was merely dislodging them.
"What you have done," he said, his voice neither rising nor falling, but every word imprinted on the fabric of the space we occupied, "is not a victory based on willpower, but an imitation rooted in the absence of will." To think that one can dominate something by breaking it is merely the consolation of a mind that cannot accept its own limitations. Because true power lies not in controlling something, but in not needing to control it. You, Clown... you think you are a creator by rewriting other people's minds, but what you really do is merely tear apart what exists and force it into the shape of your own fears. This… is not creation. This is the way deficiency hides itself. "
There was a brief pause.
But this pause… was not for thinking.
This... bore the weight of what was to come.
"And the most ironic part," he continued, his eyes still fixed, his voice still unchanged, "is that you failed to notice this cycle. An entity constantly striving to redefine itself... is in fact the one that can never be defined. You think you're changing. But this change... is not progress. It is the perpetual fragmentation that cannot remain stable. And you call this 'the game'."
He took a step forward. It was so sudden and he said it in between words that I didn't even feel it.
There wasn't even a sound to this step.
Because the ground... didn't register that step.
"I don't think of you as inferior. " he said.
"I... see you as incomplete. " Magnus said.
There was silence for a few seconds.
But this time…
This silence was not an end, but a beginning.
The expression on the clown's face slowly widened. But this widening... wasn't the elongation of a single emotion. It was as if his face was trying to convey multiple meanings at once. There was an unseen tension; it was as if every muscle on his face wanted to move with a different intention.
And then she or he I don't know... but the one who looked like a woman spoke.
This time… without hesitation.
In a single flow.
But within that flow... there was a fragmented consciousness.
"You speak so well, Magnus, really, as usual, words from a place like that for a moment you pick what you said, if he wants you to believe that human truth is like a kind of like you in this universe really 'understood' who, like you're one of the rare ones, but that's because you're so fun you those cold, very distant, then I see what the underlying tone was confident, I feel, I remember, you're talking about the shortcomings of me, but who was missing Magnus, do you remember, who was it, constantly wanting more, who was he who was not content with what exists and tried to create something 'better' by smashing it, who was he who turned it into a tool instead of denying his own darkness, are you really saying this to me, to me, how funny, how tragic, how... familiar, because there is actually a fear under this condescending gaze of yours, even if you don't accept it, because you don't understand what I'm doing, you... don't want to accept what you understand, because if you accept it, you don't want to accept what you understand, because if you accept it, how funny, how tragic, how... familiar, because there is actually a fear under this condescending gaze of yours, there is even if you don't accept it, because you don't understand what I'm doing, you don't want to accept what you understand, because if you accept, then you will also have to admit that the difference between us is not as big as you think, and it will... shatter your illusion of perfect balance, so you call me 'incomplete', because you want to feel complete, because if I am incomplete, you must also be complete, right, how simple, how human, how... pathetic...........Dec..........."
She took a short breath.
But this breath…
It was a transition.
"And yet..." she continued, her voice suddenly softening, almost becoming a whisper, "I don't blame you, I really don't, because you're something like me, just... a different version, a different result, a different mistake, maybe a more aesthetic mistake, who knows, but in the end we're like two results out of the same equation, one trying to exist by self-control, the other giving up control, one looking for meaning with order, the other with chaos, but both of us... we're beings who have seen how empty meaning itself can actually be, right Magnus, tell me, Do you still have anything left that you truly believe in, or are you still pretending, still wearing that mask of 'I'm not afraid, I'm not affected, I only observe'? Because I love masks, you know, masks... they're the most honest part of a person."
She bowed his head slightly.
Her smile faded.
But this time…
It sharpened. It was as if that smile was splitting her face in two.
"And now..." she said, her voice changing again, this time clearer, more direct" "let's make the game a little more interesting, because yes, I'm not here just to dig into the past, I... like to come with proposals, because proposals reveal the true nature of a person, choices... drop masks, and watching your choices... has always been one of my favorite activities, so I'm offering you something simple, really simple, almost childish, those beautiful, precious, sacred things that you keep-yes, yes, I know you keep them, i also more or less guess where they are, but I don't want to guess, I... I want to hear, from you, from your own mouth, because it's more fun, more satisfying, more... personal, you give me their place, just their place, I don't want ownership, I don't want control, for now, just information, and in return I'll give you a guarantee, Peter... he won't touch your precious little friends, won't watch them, won't search for them, won't break them, isn't it nice even to think, a world where they're safe, a space that your past can't reach, The people untouched by your mistakes, how attractive they are, how tragically suitable an offer, because for someone like you, the greatest weakness has always been... others, right?"
Silence... True silence.
This time…
It was really heavy.
And me…
For the first time… I was witnessing such things being said about Magnus.
At that moment, I completely understood that this scene was not a battle.
This…
It was a choice. An important choice for Magnus. Perhaps a choice that will affect how I view him.
And Magnus's answer...
It would truly change everything.
Magnus couldn't speak for a while. I could tell he couldn't find the right words. I was uneasy and confused by what I heard. I wondered who this person was who could bury Magnus with their words. However, if we were on the same side now, I should have helped him. Damn it.
FORGETTABLY LONG AGO
"You see its darkness, Nyoko… while I see why that darkness had to exist.
You count up his deeds—blood, destruction, corrupt choices… while I see in that man a man who never stopped for a single moment to ask himself, 'Was there another way?'
Magnus… did not choose evil.
He was born in a place where goodness was never offered to him.
You cannot hear the silence within him. Because that silence is heavier than any being can bear.
It doesn't speak... because if it did, it would collapse.
It doesn't seem to feel anything... because if it did, it would fall apart.
And you call it a 'monster'.
When I look at it, I don't see a god.
I don't see destruction either.
I... only see someone who is enduring.
Someone who bears a burden alone, without complaining, a burden no one else tries to understand.
Someone who still stands tall even as they are gradually swallowed up by the void within themselves...
And do you know what's the scariest part?
They... don't even know they can be loved.
That's why my love is like this, Nyoko.
Because he... is too broken to ever want this.
Too foreign to ever accept it.
And she is too alone to ever believe she deserves it.
Everyone was afraid of her darkness.
I… saw the thing trembling in that darkness.
And I won't leave him there... alone. "
PRESENT TIME
Since that day, since Nahlorie, my best friend, told me these things, I've tried to sympathize with Magnus, but I couldn't. They never gave me the chance to feel sympathy or empathy for her. Still... I want to protect the man she loves in a moment like this.
Magnus's silence... was no longer merely a state of not responding. It was a boundary. The silence of a being on the edge of a cliff, deciding whether to step forward or backward. The black flames surrounding him this time were not merely burning; they were vibrating with an intensity that collapsed inward. Even those flames seemed to be awaiting a decision. I, however, stood a few steps away in the midst of this tension, with possibilities racing through my mind. It wasn't hard to understand what Clown's offer meant—but what it signified to Magnus... that wasn't something that could be measured from the outside.
And at that moment...
I couldn't stay silent anymore.
I took a step forward.
The broken ground beneath my feet didn't reject me this time. It was as if even the place I was in... was waiting for these words to be spoken. My eyes shifted to Magnus's back, then to Clown's slippery, ever-shifting form. I steadied my breath. And I spoke.
"This offer…" I said, my voice was calm at first, but as the words progressed, the determination within them sharpened, "is not a bargain. It is fear disguised as something else. Offering someone who wants to protect their loved ones the promise of removing what threatens them... this is not a deal. This is changing the name of the game. And we…" I paused for a brief moment, fixing my eyes directly on Clown, "…are not beings who will consent to walk in chains. "
My breathing became heavier, but my voice became clearer. I really want to protect Magnus. I don't know why, but... Nahlorie felt right about Magnus. For the first time.
"I don't know what Magnus is hiding. Nor do I know for what purpose he is hiding it. But this I do know—if those things maintain a balance in this universe... that balance is not worthless enough to be altered at the whim of an organization. And what you're offering... isn't protection. It's a delay. You say Peter won't touch it... but that's just another way of reminding us that he has the power to touch it. So the essence of this offer is this: 'Give me what I want, or you'll lose everything you have.'
I tilted my head slightly to the side.
"And this…" I said, my voice now taking on a sharp edge, "…is not a world we will accept."
I took another step.
"Magnus… will reject this."
There was a short silence.
But this silence... was not empty.
This...
It was a line.
The expression on Clown's face... first froze.
Then…
It broke.
But this breaking wasn't like shattering. It was more like the shifting of masks. Her smile widened—but it wasn't a warm smile. It was fun. And beneath that fun... something was stirring.
Then it spoke.
This time... in a single stream.
But within that flow... multiple minds were colliding.
"Ahhh... how noble, how neat, how... predictable a speech, really, I love it, I love it, that determination, that sharpness, that 'we don't accept chains' attitude, how heroic, how ready to break, because you know Nyoko, the easiest things to break in this universe are always the ones that look the most solid, but I don't blame you, no no, you're just trying to say the right thing, really, I mean it sincerely, even for a moment I almost wanted to believe you, I said 'yes' i feel like, 'maybe this time will be different, Maybe this time someone can really resist,' but then I remembered... I remembered that in this story, something is always missing, something... is forgotten, and you... are missing a very important detail. "
Her smile widened.
But this time…
A more detailed smile formed on her face. I couldn't even figure out which words to use to describe it. Even I, that is, I have seen a million smiles since the day I was born...
It was a more... personal smile. Not belonging to anyone else.
"This... is Magnus's story. We all have stories, don't we, Lady Ice and the Night Queen?"
She took a step forward.
This step... was silent. It was a replica of the step Magnus had just taken.
But its impact... was heavier.
"And Magnus…" he continued, his voice lowering this time, but not in a threatening way… it was more like a reminder, "he's always been someone who makes his choices based on others, right? "
She paused briefly between his words. After this pause, I felt that unwanted things were going to happen.
Then…
The expression on her face changed.
For a moment… it softened.
"Raiden…" he said.
The name... hung in the air.
And at that moment...
The black flames around Magnus...
Fluttered.
Clown's voice rose again, but this time its tone... was shifting.
"Ahh, look, look, look... that's good, that's fun, because now the scene becomes really interesting, because it's not abstract anymore, it's not about 'sacred objects' anymore, it's about... a name, a face, a memory, right Magnus, you remember her, it's impossible not to remember anyway, those small, stubborn, constantly looking at you, constantly trying to understand you... what was that look, was it admiration, was it love, or was it just a child's attachment to the wrong person, who knows, but one thing I know—she loved you more than me."
Her face suddenly tightened.
Her smile… cracked.
"And that…" he said, her voice breaking momentarily, "…was so funny."
Then…
She suddenly laughed.
In a loud voice. In a terrible voice.
In a broken voice…
"It was really funny! Having my own daughter look to you, trust you, believe in you, instead of me... what a beautiful joke this was from the universe, wasn't it? But don't worry, I'm not offended, no no, I won't be hurt, I… I just watch, I just learn, I just… remember. "
She bowed his head slightly.
Their eyes locked on Magnus.
"And do you know what's the best part? "
Her voice… It slowed down.
"I... I don't know where she is anymore. "
She waited. Magnus carefully examined her body, wondering if she would do something. However, when no immediate reaction came from Magnus, she continued.
"You know."
These words...
They were heavy. The words slowed down as they left his mouth, but their impact was severe.
"And now..." she said, her voice changing again, this time sharper, more oppressive, vibrating with... unstable anger, " I'm updating my offer, because yes, I'm flexible, I adapt, I change, I... have fun, so listen to me Magnus, this time I'm asking you for something really valuable, never mind sacred things and stuff, I'll get them later, they're not running after all, but this... this is different, this is personal, this is real, this is... live, tell me where Raiden is, just where he is, I don't want anything else, what a war , no deal, no sacrifice, just... a knowledge, and in return... I promise you, Petrus... we will stay away not only from your loved ones, but even from your 'story', leave you alone, forget about you, leave you... alone, isn't that how much you want, Magnus, solitude, silence, an existence free of burdens, just tell me where she is..."
She paused for a moment.
And then…
Her voice broke.
"Because…" she whispered, this time in a truly weak tone, "…I want to see her."
But this break...
It didn't last longer than a second.
Suddenly...
Her face hardened.
Visible anger... surfaced.
"Or you don't tell me! " she continued, his voice suddenly rising, almost exploding, "and I'll find it out for myself! Piece by piece, bit by bit, destroying everything, breaking everything, burning everything, I will find it, and then... then this won't be a reunion, Magnus, this will be... an end! Nothing you love will be left behind in this universe!"
Silence.
But this time…
Even silence was afraid.
My eyes shifted to Magnus.
And for the first time…
Even without seeing his face...
I felt the thing inside.
This... wasn't just anger.
This... was pain.
Loneliness.
And…
Fear.
Black flames were clashing around.
But this time…
The thing controlling them...
It was shaking.
"I..." Magnus said, his voice hoarse. It was different from his usual clear and calm tone. It sounded broken. It was a tone I had never heard from Magnus before.
However, suddenly his voice rose. It was as if every word he spoke pierced not only the air but directly into the essence of the being. The black flames began to burn more erratically around him; this disorganization was not a loss of control—it was something that had been suppressed refusing to remain hidden any longer. He bowed his head slightly, but this was not a sign of weakness; it was an act of more clearly "identifying" the person before him.
"You expect me to trust your current state..." he began, his voice deepening, as if he were tearing each word out of himself, "your distorted, fragmented existence that lacks internal consistency... to trust this. " He took a short breath, but this breath was not for rest; it was for saying more. "You are no longer an individual. You… are a remnant trapped under the rubble of your own mind. What you think is willpower is actually the echo of impulses you cannot control. What you think is choice... is merely your fragmented selves taking turns to take center stage. "
He took a step. The ground cracked as if it had to accept that step.
"And you want from me... the place of a child. " he said, his voice hardening noticeably for the first time. You want to 'see' it. " The corner of his lips tightened almost to the point of being invisible. "You don't want to see it. You... want to possess it. You want to touch it. You want to shape it. You want to break it. Because that's your nature..."
The black flames rose for a moment.
"Raiden…" he said, his voice unchanged as he spoke the name, but the aura around him grew heavier, "it is not a memory you remember. It is not a bond you deserve. That… being has never been within the reach of something like you."
He lifted his head slightly. His eyes fixed directly on Clown.
"Your offer?" he said, with almost mocking calmness. "This isn't an offer. This is the manifestation of a disease. You still… think everything is a trade-off. You think everything can be bargained, every bond can be broken, every will can be bent. "
He paused for a moment. Perhaps he had noticed that he had become too harsh, and I thought he would adjust his attitude. However, I was wrong.
Then…
His voice became even deeper.
"Listen to me carefully. " he said, this time the words were sharper. "I cannot trust your current state, which is terrible, frightening, vile, rotten, empty, and unable to bear the weight of your own existence. You're not even a threat—you're an example of corruption. A warning. Proof of what a being that was once 'something' can become."
The dark flames began to spin more intensely around him.
"And that's why…" he continued, his voice having reached a point of no return, "I would rather set the entire universe on fire than tell you Raiden's whereabouts. I will extinguish every star, reduce every being to ashes, erase every memory... but I will not bring you closer to him. "
He took another step.
This time...
The ground gave way.
"Because you..." he said, his last words almost a whisper, but even that whisper cut like a knife, "are such a despicable creature that you cannot even bear the name of a father, Kishryu!"
Kishryu? This name, I'm sure of it. It's very familiar.
I remember it being mentioned in a book I found in the Assembly of Crowns before.
I can't remember, I saw it a long time ago. However, without a doubt... She was one of the important beings in this universe, and as far as I understand, there was a history between her and Magnus, and her daughter.
I turned my face towards them again. I should have kept a closer eye on it.
And at that moment…
Even the silence…
Forced to choose sides.
"Dad… huh? "
The moment that word left the woman's mouth... the fabric of the scene shifted. It was as if that single word, like a nail driven into the cracked reality we existed in, dislodged everything. Her body suddenly tensed—but this contraction wasn't an uncontrolled reflex. This... was the shell of something bursting open. Then, she covered her face with her hand. As her fingers passed over the remaining fragments of the mask, even that contact seemed to tremble as if it were recalling something.
And then...
She started laughing.
But this laugh... it wasn't just a single laugh.
At first it was a short, hoarse laugh. Then it lengthened. It deepened. It fragmented. For a moment it approached a shrill scream, for a moment it almost turned into a whisper. Her body contorted with laughter, her shoulders shook back and forth, his head fell back, then bent forward again. It was as if that laughter... wasn't the result of amusement, but the echo of an explosion. Her feet couldn't stay steady on the ground, shifting weight from side to side. Her fingers were squeezing her face, her nails were digging into her skin, but she still... wouldn't stop.
As the laughter continued...
The tones within her changed.
For a moment, she was cheerful.
For a moment, it was full of pain.
For a moment, it was full of anger.
For a moment… it was empty.
Finally, she seemed to run out of breath. The laughter didn't stop suddenly—it slowed down. It faded away, breaking apart... it stopped. But even that silence still carried the echo of that laughter.
She slowly lowered her hand from her face.
She tilted her head slightly to the side.
And she spoke again.
This time…
In a single stream.
But within that flow... there was a fractured consciousness.
"Father... what a heavy word, Magnus, how loaded with meaning, how binding, how... fragile, because what you call 'father' is not really a power, nor an authority, it's just a reflection, a starting point, a shadow, and now you're trying to tell me something using that word, you're trying to humiliate me, you're trying to make me smaller, but the funny thing is... the moment you say that word, I remember not you, but the thing above you, he's big, he's majestic, do you remember that figure, Magnus, that look, that coldness, that 'I created it, I rule' attitude, how familiar, how... a recurring tragedy, because you tell me 'you can't be a father', but even your own origin is based on irony, you're... the child of a legacy, but that legacy... is not a blessing, it's a curse, and you know it very well, right, that's why you're so angry, that's why you're so against it'Magnus, that look, that coldness, that attitude 'I created it, I rule it', how familiar, how... a recurring tragedy, because you say, 'you can't be a father', but even your own origin is based on irony, you're... the child of a legacy, but that legacy... is not a blessing, it's a curse, and you know it very well, right, that's why you're so angry, that's why you're so against it you're dating because I remind you of yourself, I remind you of that chain, that bond, that thing you can't escape from…"
She, but actually a he, took a short breath.
But this breath…
It wasn't for calming down.
This… was for going deeper.
"And now..." she continued, her voice softening, almost slipping into a compassionate tone, "now you're telling me 'not to trust', how true, how appropriate a decision, really, I congratulate you, because yes, you shouldn't trust me, no one should trust me, I don't even trust myself, because I... I'm not fixed, I change, I break, I reunite, I... have fun, but this... does not reduce the value of my offer, but rather increases it, because I'm honest Magnus, I'm not lying to you, I'm giving you a choice, and you... refuse, how noble, how tragic..."
The expression on his face changed instantly.
Her smile widened.
But this time…
It was harder.
More intense.
More… threatening.
"So…" she said, his voice dropping but each word becoming heavier, "the game changes."
She took a step.
That step… was silent.
But the impact…
It was shocking.
"If you're willing to burn this universe down..." she continued, her eyes—or that void—locked on Magnus, "then I'll... spare you the trouble. "
She paused briefly between his sentences.
Then… She smiled.
But that smile…
Was empty. Didn't make me feel anything.
"Because I will do that job…" she said slowly, dragging out the words, "…before you do. "
For a moment, she tilted her head to the side.
And then…
Her voice changed again.
This time…
It was almost cheerful.
"And do you know where to start?" he asked, accompanied by a light laugh.
"Oh, it's not hard to guess actually…"
Her eyes drifted.
For a brief moment…
In another direction.
Then she turned back to Magnus.
"Akihiro." she said.
The name... was heavy.
"That little... light of yours."
His smile widened.
"And…" she added, her voice suddenly softening, almost turning into a whisper, "your beloved Nahlorie…"
A short silence.
But this silence…
It was like a knife.
"I'll start with them." she said.
This time…
Without changing at all.
"Piece by piece."
"Slowly."
"Understandingly."
She lifted her head slightly.
And she spoke for the last time.
"Because you refused, Magnus." she said, her voice now completely steady.
"And every rejected offer..."
"...is the beginning of destruction."
That moment…
The atmosphere became heavy.
And me…
For the first time…
I was truly scared.
Fear... until that moment, it had always been a definable, clearly demarcated phenomenon in my mind. That sharp, functional urge felt when measuring an enemy's strength, predicting the direction of an attack, calculating the likelihood of death... that was what kept me going. But now, what rose within me defied all calculation. This was not a reaction to a threat; it was that primitive and inexplicable feeling of withdrawal brought on by exposure to something that transcended existence itself. Clown or Kishryu, whatever his name was... His words still echoed in my mind—Akihiro's name, Nahlorie's name... Those names were like target markers inscribed upon this world. And I, for the first time on a battlefield... wasn't just thinking about winning, but about the possibility of failing to protect something.
At that very moment... the fabric of space once again ruptured.
This time's rupture was more sudden, more severe. It wasn't like something opening... it was more like something being forcibly torn apart. A thin, bright slit formed in the air, and what came through that slit was... light itself. But this light was not soothing or sacred; it was an entity carrying within itself speed and intensity. The form of lightning condensed into a single point, then forced into human form, took shape before my eyes. I cannot even measure that moment in terms of a single second; because it happened in such a brief instant that even time itself could not keep up. And then… when that light touched the ground, reality was forced to accept it.
"Lieutenant Nyoko?!"
Akihiro's voice... it echoed recognizably even amidst this destruction. There was surprise within, there was relief, but also... there was that pure openness of being unaware of anything. When I turned my head to look at him, I saw that familiar sparkle in his eyes—something that hadn't yet darkened, something that hadn't yet broken. And at that moment, something inside me tightened. Because this scene... wasn't for him. This was a battle he shouldn't have entered. This was a darkness he shouldn't have understood yet.
"Akih—"
Beyond his name, nothing else could escape my lips.
Because at that moment… Magnus moved.
This was not like a human moving. There was no muscle contraction, no joint rotation, no weight displacement—none of these. This was the forcible projection of a "will" into the physical world. He lifted his arm—slowly. But this slowness wasn't caused by hesitation or fatigue. It was the way inevitability made room for itself. As if the world were retreating and time were making space for that action to occur.
When he extended his hand towards Clown...
Everything fell silent.
This was not a metaphor. He really... fell silent. The wind stopped, dust particles suspended in the air, even the collapsing debris from destroyed buildings ceased moving. It was as if the universe itself had paused, sensing the weight of the next moment. In that moment... there was an expectation. But it wasn't a hopeful wait.
This... was watching the end come.
A spot formed in Magnus' palm.
Small.
Almost insignificant.
But that point... did not remain fixed. It collapsed inward. Then it expanded. Then it collapsed again. This cycle... occurred hundreds of times within a second. It was as if a universe were being created, destroyed, and recreated within that small space. And with each cycle... its intensity increased.
This was not a flame.
This was... the condensed form of destruction.
And then…
That thing was released.
But this was not an explosion. An explosion is the outward release of energy. This, however, was the "rejection" of everything that exists." Black flames reached out from Magnus's hand but did not spread—they "cancelled out" everything in their path. The first building they touched… did not burn. It bent before them first. Its walls collapsed inward, its windows did not melt—they vanished. Then… the building disappeared completely. As if it had never existed there.
Not just one.
Dozens.
Hundreds.
Streets, roads, infrastructures... they all shared the same fate. Even the ground couldn't bear this force; in some places it collapsed, in others it completely vanished. Before my eyes, a city was being erased not piece by piece, but layer by layer. And this process... didn't end suddenly. It continued. It expanded.
It progressed towards the horizon.
While I was looking...
The world changed.
The silhouettes I saw in the distance—mountains, structures, towers—bent one by one, then disappeared. Even the sky could not escape this darkness; light refracted, colors faded, as if the day itself retreated. This was no longer a city.
This... was the erasure of a country from the map.
When the shock wave arrived... my body couldn't react. Neither defensive reflex nor escape response worked. The fact that I even remained standing was a miracle. Because this power... wasn't just physical. There was a weight crushing my soul within it. It was as if those flames were burning not only matter but also the meaning of existence.
My eyes locked onto Magnus.
I had seen him fight before. I knew his power. But this…
This wasn't about power.
This was… the disregard of boundaries.
The black flames surrounding him no longer behaved like an element. They were… alive. They moved, expanded, contracted, as if they were expressing every emotion within him. Anger… but not just any anger. An anger that has accumulated over the years, suppressed, rotten, yet still alive. Loneliness... so deep that it wants to make everything around it like itself. And pain... indescribably ancient, yet still as sharp as the first day.
When I looked at Magnus at that moment…
I didn't see a human.
I didn't see a warrior either.
I…
I saw a disaster.
And this awareness...
It shaped the fear within me.
Because even if Clown's threat no longer posed a threat, Magnus had created his own disaster.
But now…
I also knew what stood before him.
My eyes involuntarily drifted to Akihiro. He was still there. In the midst of this destruction, he was looking around with an expression that hadn't quite understood yet, but was beginning to feel. And at that moment, a thought resonated within me—sharp, clear, unavoidable:
The city had now completely vanished in purplish flames. Akihiro would not remain silent in the face of this situation. Magnus's anger was perhaps the thing that truly destroyed their relationship.
Perhaps Clown meant this by starting with Akihiro.
END OF CHAPTER