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Chapter 45 - Yuno.

Meanwhile, in another dimension, five members of Paradox sat around a massive table.

The world surrounding them looked… broken. Fractured. As if reality itself had given up.

All five of them looked bored.

A sudden distortion tore through space.

A portal opened.

From it stepped Alyssa.

Behind her followed Vayne—no… Nephius.

Jester's crimson eyes curved into crescents as a grin spread across his face.

"Ho~ how wonderful. The Lady of Destruction and Peace herself graces us with her presence."

Nephius didn't even spare him a glance.

Her form shifted—Vayne's disguise melting away.

Blonde hair fell over her shoulders.

Cold blue eyes returned.

Then, a voice cut through the air, dripping with irritation.

"Shut the hell up, you shitty clown. You were late too."

Jester's gaze flicked sideways.

The speaker sat lazily in his chair—crimson hair, youthful appearance, and eyes like narrowed slits.

Vex the Crimson.

Former head of the Red Dragon Clan.

Another voice followed, calm but sharp.

"Both of you, quiet down. The boss is about to arrive."

The speaker was a swordsman—black hair, eyes hidden beneath a cloth blindfold.

Mikazu.

The blind swordsman.

Around them, the rest remained silent.

Sephyrin, the High Elf, leaned back with clear disinterest—golden hair gleaming, green eyes dull with boredom.

And then there was Biron.

A demi-human.

Unlike the others… he was smiling.

Amused.

Watching.

Waiting.

_____

Space itself bent.

No—it moved.

As if reality made way for something it could not contain.

From that distortion, a man stepped forward.

A black suit, perfectly tailored.

Black hair, untouched by the chaos around him.

A hat rested lightly atop his head, tilted just enough to shadow his expression.

A single monocle gleamed over his right eye.

Golden eyes.

Playful… yet something far deeper lurked beneath.

Power.

Not the loud, overwhelming kind.

But the kind that didn't need to prove itself.

Silence fell across the table.

For the first time—

No one looked bored.

Jester's grin faded ever so slightly.

Vex's narrowed eyes sharpened.

Even Mikazu tilted his head, as if trying to sense something beyond sight.

A single thought echoed through all of them

He's gotten stronger.

The man adjusted his hat slightly.

A faint smile touched his lips.

"This took longer than expected."

This was Yuno.

The leader of Paradox.

The moment Yuno appeared—

All of them rose.

And bowed their heads.

He waved them off casually, as if it meant nothing, and took the seat at the head of the table.

"It's been a while since we've all gathered."

His voice carried a light smile.

Then—

His gaze shifted.

To Jester.

"Jester… you seem to have been doing some interesting things."

Jester grinned, unfazed.

"Haha… I paid the Council a little visit. You should've seen their faces."

A faint pause.

Yuno's golden eyes gleamed.

"I've also heard… Ragnar Zephyr was there."

The atmosphere changed.

Jester's smile faded—just slightly.

"…Yes. Ragnar was present."

Silence.

Then—

Vex burst into laughter.

"HAHA! So he's finally back? Boss, how about we invade humanity right now?"

His voice overflowed with arrogance.

Before Yuno could respond—

Alyssa spoke, cold and sharp.

"Watch your words, you disgusting lizard."

Vex's eyes snapped toward her.

A crimson aura erupted from his body—flames licking the air, distorting space around him.

"Oh? Seems like you've finally decided to die Witch."

Alyssa didn't move.

Didn't flinch.

A black aura surged around her—dark, suffocating, swallowing the crimson flames inch by inch.

"Try it."

Biron suddenly leaned forward, excitement bursting from him.

"HAHA! I wanna join too!"

The others didn't move.

Didn't speak.

Because they knew—

What was coming next.

It happened instantly.

A pressure.

No—

A presence.

It crashed down on the entire room.

KNEEL.

Every single one of them was forced down.

The ground beneath them cracked as their knees hit.

Breath—

Gone.

Even Vex's flames vanished.

Alyssa's aura collapsed.

Their eyes widened as they looked forward—

At the head of the table.

Yuno sat there.

Unmoved.

His golden eyes still held that same playful glint.

But the aura surrounding him—

Was something else entirely.

Cold.

Absolute.

Unforgiving.

"Pathetic."

His voice was quiet.

Yet it crushed them harder than the pressure itself.

"Speak without permission again…"

A slight pause.

"And perish."

Silence.

No one dared breathe.

"A-apologies… Leader."

Alyssa spoke first, her head lowered deeply.

One by one—

The others followed.

Even Vex.

Even Jester.

All bowing once more.

Not out of formality.

But fear.

Yuno simply leaned back in his chair.

As if nothing had happened.

Yuno's fingers tapped lightly against the table.

"Jester… how strong did he feel?"

Jester's usual grin didn't disappear—

But it dimmed.

He shook his head slowly.

"These six years of exile… his absence… they've changed him."

A pause.

"He's stronger."

Another.

"Far stronger."

His crimson eyes narrowed.

"He's reached a stage where his strength… can't be measured anymore."

A soft sound escaped Yuno.

"Oh~?"

His golden eyes gleamed with interest.

"What do you think would happen… if I fought him now?"

Jester didn't hesitate.

His voice was steady. Certain.

"You would win."

Silence.

Then—

Yuno laughed.

Light. Amused.

"Haha~… is that so?"

But his eyes said something else.

They shifted.

Landing on Nephius.

"Hmm? Nephius… have you found the child?"

Nephius stood still, her expression unchanged.

"Not yet, my lord."

Across the table—

Jester smiled.

A quiet, knowing smirk.

'One month, Nephius~'

Her eyes flickered toward him for just a moment.

Sharp.

Warning.

Gone just as quickly.

Yuno noticed.

Of course he did.

A faint grin returned to his lips.

"Is that so…?"

A brief pause.

Then—

He leaned forward slightly.

The air grew heavy again.

"Anyway…"

Yuno leaned forward slightly.

"The reason I brought you all here today…"

The air grew heavier.

"…is because we're going to bring down humanity's sword."

The moment the words left his lips—

Something changed.

A faint tremor ran through the broken world around them.

The space above the table distorted—like an invisible blade had been drawn across reality itself.

A sharp hum echoed.

Not sound.

But pressure.

As if something far away…

Had felt it.

Every single one of them reacted.

Eyes widened.

Even Sephyrin, who had remained bored until now, straightened—his interest finally captured.

For a brief moment—

No one spoke.

Because they all understood what that title meant.

Humanity's Sword.

Ragnar Zephyr.

Not merely a man.

But something that stood at the very peak.

Something that cut down anything that opposed humanity.

And they were about to—

Bring him down.

Yuno smiled.

Cold.

Certain.

"Yes."

A pause.

His golden eyes gleamed.

"I'm going to kill Ragnar Zephyr."

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