Inside the dark space, energy pulsed through the cracked ground, the fractures still reacting from the recent clash.
Kiro stood still, his eyes calm yet burning underneath. He glanced briefly at Seouk beneath Regns' foot, then shifted his attention to Leah, who was still on the floor.
Renji stared at Seouk, still in shock. "I guess not all Vessels are there yet."
Daigo's thoughts drifted from the Transit to Kiro. You didn't even give him a chance to hit you.
Kiro walked toward Leah. She tried to push herself up, her back scraping against the wall, but he reached her before she could stand. He held her shoulder and gently guided her back down.
"You don't have to stand."
Leah smiled faintly, her expression soft. "I wanted to congratulate you, Kiro."
Behind them, Regns removed his foot from Seouk. His expression turned distant.
"When I was your age, I had your mindset, Seouk."
Seouk forced himself upright, one hand clutching his stomach.
Mira approached with calm authority, walking past Seouk as if he didn't exist. She stopped near Daigo, her attention fixed on Regns.
"Thinking status equals power," Regns continued. "But I was corrected by Ozaki… who wasn't a Vessel or a Divine King."
Renji gasped. Leah stayed silent, listening. Kiro remained focused on Leah's injuries.
Daigo, however, wasn't listening. His attention was on Mira.
Mira raised her head slightly. "Sir, what do you mean he wasn't a Vessel or a Divine King?"
"Ozaki wasn't a Vessel until ten years ago," Regns replied. "But even before that, he dominated all Vessels on this continent."
Seouk walked over and leaned against the wall beside Kiro.
Renji stepped forward. "When you say continent… do you mean just here, or Bres, Kehi, and the others too?"
Regns chuckled. "All of it."
Kiro looked up. "But how?"
Regns frowned slightly, thinking. "He used to mention something… Silver."
Silence followed.
The word felt unfamiliar. Empty, yet heavy.
Mira narrowed her eyes. "What is Silver? A magic booster?"
"I don't know," Regns admitted. "He never told me his magic type."
Everyone was drawn into the discussion—everyone except Daigo.
He leaned slightly toward Mira and whispered, "Do you have any marking on your body? A letter or symbol?"
Mira shook her head. "If this is about the Transit, no. I haven't seen anything."
Daigo's thoughts settled.
It hasn't happened yet… but it will.
–––
Far away, Team Ozaki moved quickly through the dense forest.
Lumei looked up at the canopy. "Are we ever getting out of this place?"
Ichiha chuckled softly, the tension from the previous night fading. Chella and Sora walked close together, holding hands.
Yamato called out, "Master Ozaki."
Ozaki stopped and turned. The others paused.
"What is it?"
Yamato exhaled. "I should've said this earlier… about the bodies."
Ozaki's gaze sharpened. "What about them?"
"I noticed marks," Yamato said. "Something grabbed them. Tight grip."
"Get to the point," Ozaki said.
Yamato held his head briefly. "Are there giants on this planet?"
A pause followed.
"Not extinct," Yamato added. "Still alive."
Ozaki shook his head. "No. Only animals and humans exist here."
Yamato stepped forward, leaves crunching underfoot. "Then not a giant… but something around fifteen feet tall. That's the size of the grip."
Lumei frowned. "That doesn't make sense. There were no footprints, no broken trees—nothing that size could move around here unnoticed."
Yamato and Ozaki spoke at the same time.
"What if it can manipulate its size?"
Sora pulled her hand from Chella's. "Like our golems?"
"No," Yamato replied. "A human. Small at first… then changing size to fight, then shrinking back."
Ozaki rested his hand on his blade. "Then we—"
He stopped.
Yamato's eyes shifted sharply.
"Something is wrong."
Ozaki turned. "What is it?"
"The energy here… it's changing."
CLICK.
A light appeared ahead, like the forest was ending.
CLICK.
It shifted closer.
CLICK.
Closer again.
Until—
it was above them.
The trees were gone.
The sky was clear.
Sora turned slowly. "What just happened?"
Chella's voice lowered. "It's like the trees disappeared."
Ichiha looked up, tension building. "This isn't Uncle's doing… this is something stronger."
Then the sky darkened.
Mist gathered.
The air grew heavy.
Cold.
Ozaki drew his blade.
A shadow moved across the ground.
A massive bird descended, its feathers dark with glowing purple tips.
"PREEWW!"
Its beak opened wide—unnaturally wide.
A leg dropped out.
Then another.
A figure followed, slowly descending, surrounded by dark mist that seemed to drip from his body.
He landed.
Rujer.
His eyes were pure black. A faint smile rested on his face.
He said nothing. Just observed.
Ozaki stepped forward. Yamato followed.
The bird screeched again. Its feathers glowed brighter, then scattered.
The moment the feathers touched Ozaki and Yamato—
they vanished.
"What the—" Chella gasped.
"They're gone!" Sora shouted.
Lumei clenched his fists. "He took them!"
Rujer cracked his knuckles slowly, his smile widening.
Chella charged. "God Form: Form 1 — Bronze Rock Golem!"
Stone surged over her body, forming thick bronze armor.
Sora followed. "God Form: Form 1 — Water God Arrow!"
Water spiraled into a glowing bow and arrow.
Ichiha stepped forward. "God Form: Form 1 — Calamity Shock!"
Energy surged around him, shaking the ground.
Lumei moved last. "God Form: Form 1 — Shadow's Drought!"
Dark shadows wrapped around him like a cloak.
They attacked together.
Rujer stepped forward, hands in his pockets.
"Weak."
Ichiha moved first, his punch cutting through the air—but Rujer tilted his head and dodged effortlessly, catching his arm mid-motion. He twisted it and drove his elbow into Ichiha's chest.
The impact blasted dust into the air.
Ichiha coughed violently as he was sent flying, slamming into the ground unconscious.
"Just one tap shut him off!," Rujer muttered.
Sora fired instantly. The water arrow shot toward his heart.
Rujer dashed sideways.
BANG!
The arrow exploded into the ground.
He was already behind her.
Without removing his hands from his pockets, he spun—
his kick connected with the back of her neck.
CRACK.
Her body spun mid-air before collapsing, unmoving.
Chella roared and slammed her fists into the ground. Massive rocks launched toward Rujer.
Lumei's shadows surged forward, wrapping toward his legs.
Rujer moved through it all with unnatural speed. He let one rock graze his shoulder just to close distance.
He jumped, flipped mid-air, and caught Lumei.
Then drove his knee straight into Lumei's spine.
CRACK!!!
Lumei screamed, his body going limp as he crashed down.
Chella charged again, her heavy armor shaking the ground. She threw three powerful punches.
Rujer dodged the first, ducked the second, then drove a knee into her stomach.
Her armor cracked.
He followed with a spinning kick, knocking her off her feet.
She crashed hard but remained conscious.
That moment was enough.
Lumei forced himself up, barely stable, and charged again—
but Rujer caught him, flipped him, and slammed him onto his back effortlessly.
Both he and Chella lay there, breathing heavily.
Rujer turned away.
"You're not weak," he said calmly. "You're just not ready."
He began walking.
Above him, the bird circled.
Chella coughed. "We… couldn't even scratch him…"
Lumei clenched his teeth. "He didn't even use magic…"
Rujer paused slightly.
"The next time we meet… I will."
Then he vanished into the forest shadows.
Silence remained.
Four warriors.
Broken.