Everyone moved to the grand dining hall, where a round table brought together the "Senshu" under one roof in a rare occurrence. An atmosphere of familiarity mixed with majesty prevailed, broken by the Yellow Eye who said, "It is good that we are all gathered here; this gives me the feeling that we are a true family despite everything."
The Purple Eye smiled, looking tenderly toward her companions: "Yes, I always love for us to be together like this.. What do you think, Black Eye? Do you feel this bond?"
The Black Eye looked at her with his usual coldness and said, "Yes, it is a good thing to maintain the cohesion of our strength and stay in full readiness."
The Purple Eye laughed lightly and said, "What a practical person you are! It's good that you mentioned that, but what does strength have to do with a group dinner? Can't you just enjoy the moment?"
The Black Eye remained silent for a moment, then said in a mysterious tone, "I don't know.. maybe I'm not used to that yet."
While they were eating, the Red Eye put down his fork and said seriously, "I will be leaving you soon; I have a mission in the frozen southern part of World Zero."
The Blue Eye asked him, "Do you mean that mission related to collecting dues?"
The Red Eye replied, "Exactly. I must find Professor Clinton Berzg and bring him back alive. He got trapped in the snow surrounding the universe of 'Aguira' while collecting our dues, and due to the rugged nature of that place, I might be away from you for a whole year."
The Yellow Eye replied with a smile, "Good luck, you moody dragon, we will miss your troubles."
After the dinner ended, the Red Eye began preparing his luggage with an elite squad. While he was getting ready to leave, the Black Eye appeared before him and extended his hand, giving him a mysterious black sphere: "Use it if you encounter problems you cannot solve on your way."
The Red Eye took it in astonishment: "Thank you.. I will make sure to use it when needed, but what exactly is this tool?"
The Black Eye replied coldly, "Don't worry about it, it's just something that will help you in times of hardship."
Izola intervened in a warning tone: "Make sure to bring Clinton back safely. Remember that he is an ordinary human who doesn't possess our abilities, and the cold there might kill him before you arrive."
Then Dazai added, patting his shoulder: "Watch out for the western side, and beware of approaching the borders of 'Izoria'; their forces are dense there and the land is theirs. Good luck."
The Red Eye left the castle, leaving behind a brief emptiness before Izola turned toward the Black Eye.
"I have a mission for you.. Are you ready?" Izola asked, sparks gleaming in her eyes.
He replied without hesitation, "Always ready."
She led him to the secret surveillance room and showed him a scene of caravan thieves looting a massive shipment of raw diamonds. She said, "These diamonds were illegally extracted and are now being smuggled for 'Izoria'. Your mission is to stop them, annihilate them, and bring the loot to us.. We deserve it more."
The Black Eye looked at the screen and asked, "Is that all?"
Izola smiled bitterly and said, "Currently yes.. but in the future, there is a lot of blood that must be shed and plans that must be executed."
The Black Eye set off toward his new mission, leaving behind silent questions in the corridors of "Gestoria": To what extent will this monster go on his path of crime? And will "Izoria" be the next victim of his wrath? The Black Eye waited atop a rocky cliff overlooking a deep valley, where the "Izoria" express train was supposed to pass. An eerie silence settled over the place, and suddenly, his cold gaze fixed on a nearby hill. He sensed erratic heartbeats, so he whispered to himself: "I am not alone.. There are intruders sharing the wait."
He sneaked with the lightness of a shadow until he got close to the source of the sound, finding two people in ragged clothes hiding behind rocks. One of them whispered desperately to the other, "Are you sure it will pass? We've been here for hours!"
The other replied with faint hope, "Yes, it will pass.. and then we will hide inside it to reach the regions of "Izoria". Maybe we'll find a decent life there, instead of this hell we live under the weight of Gestoria."
Moments later, the train tore through the silence of the valley, flying at tremendous speed. The two figures jumped skillfully onto its roof, but just as they decided to sneak into one of the compartments, the shocking surprise struck; dozens of armed men were waiting for them. Energy weapon fire erupted mercilessly, tearing their frail bodies apart in seconds, and they fell drowned in their blood amid the mocking laughter of the soldiers.
The Black Eye watched this scene from the top of the carriage. He entered slowly to see the traces of blood dragged inside, and when he opened the door of the next compartment, he froze in horror at what he saw; the armed men weren't satisfied with just killing, but were viciously gnawing on the corpses of the two dead people with disgusting brutality. At that moment, the diamonds and the mission no longer mattered to him; he felt a deep revulsion at this existence. With a swift movement, he unleashed a destructive energy pulse that blew up the train and everyone inside it in the blink of an eye.
The diamonds scattered in space like dispersed stars, and the Black Eye stood floating amidst the wreckage of steam and fire. He looked at his fist, clenched it tightly, then turned around and flew back to the organization without carrying a single diamond with him.
He entered the castle with heavy steps. Izola was waiting for him with a victory smile on her face: "Welcome! You returned quickly.. Where is the loot? Did you bring the diamonds?"
The Black Eye walked past her without uttering a single word, as if she didn't exist. Izola remained in her place in shock and wonder: "What happened to him suddenly? Did he fail the mission?"
Several days passed, during which the Black Eye locked himself in his room. In the morning, he went out, heading straight to Arlene's room, where he found her discussing matters with Dazai.
Dazai said welcomingly, "You've finally decided to come out! I was waiting for you so we could plan our next step."
The Black Eye replied coldly, "I want to talk to the old woman alone."
Dazai stood up in surprise but agreed, "Alright.. I'll wait for you later to go for a 'short' walk to entertain ourselves a bit."
The Black Eye closed the door and sat before Arlene in a silence that lasted for minutes. Arlene asked him in surprise, "Strange.. the Assassin of Souls is asking an old woman for help? Have you fallen into trouble your sword cannot solve?"
He looked at her with focus and said, "It doesn't matter what I've fallen into.. There is a matter that puzzles me greatly and makes my chest tight. I need information from you, since you are an old woman, you are supposed to be wise or possess insight we lack."
Arlene laughed bitterly: "You think gray hair always means wisdom? Never mind.. I am listening to you. Tell me, what is occupying the mind of the rising 'monster'?"
After that deep discussion, Arlene shook her head sorrowfully and said, "Is this really what occupies your mind? It seems strange for someone like you, but as I told you.. do it properly and you will guarantee success. Since you made a promise, you must commit to it; a man is known by his word, even if he is a criminal like you.. heheh."
The Black Eye looked at her with a seriousness she wasn't used to from him: "Yes, I will try, but not now.. I will wait for the right moment."
Arlene replied, "Your matter is truly difficult, young man, but with cunning and intelligence, you will reach your goal."
He stood up to leave, but turned at the door and said in a tone dripping with venom: "Oh.. I would like to tell you something; 'Izoria', whose worlds' inhabitants you defend, is building armies of cannibals. Remember this well so you know who the right side really is."
He went out and slammed the door shut, leaving Arlene in utter astonishment looking at the sunset as she muttered: "Cannibals? Has the depravity of Izoria reached this extent?"
In the evening, Dazai decided to ease the tension, so he invited the "Senshu" to a celebration of their initial victories at a luxurious restaurant in World Zero. Everyone sat around a round table, and Dazai distributed smiles: "Dinner is on me today! Order the most expensive item on the menu."
The conversation flowed, and they remembered their absent companions. The Blue Eye (Isak) said, "How I wished 'Isgard' was with us, the gathering would have had a different flavor."
Dazai agreed with him, "Yes, Isgard has a charisma that makes moments more beautiful."
While Rose said enthusiastically, "The real fun is in the upcoming major operations!"
Izola turned to the Black Eye, who was sitting like a statue behind his mask. She grabbed his hand and said coquettishly in front of everyone, "Darling, why don't you take off the mask? I want to see my favorite face."
The Black Eye hesitated and said coldly, "Secrecy is important, Izola."
But everyone started chanting: "Take off the mask! Take off the mask!"
Under pressure, he raised his hand and slowly removed the mask. His calm face with sharp features appeared, causing Rose to gasp: "You are so handsome! Why do you hide this face?" Then she flustered when she saw Izola's sharp gaze and added quickly, "I mean.. your skills are what's handsome!"
Dazai laughed: "My friend, I almost forgot your features!"
But Izola noticed his abstraction, so she placed her hand on his forehead: "What's wrong with you, darling? You're not yourself, are you sick? Your temperature is normal."
He replied briefly, "I'm fine, just some tiredness."
The waiter came to take the orders, and when the Black Eye hesitated in choosing, Izola answered for him immediately: "He prefers roasted beef."
After dinner, and while everyone was laughing, Izola said in a tone overcome by sudden sadness: "I am happy to spend this time with you, but I am sad because today is our second wedding anniversary.. and it seems 'darling' has forgotten it completely."
Silence prevailed, then the Senshu began uttering mocking and teasing shouts as they looked at the Black Eye, who froze in place. He didn't know there was such a thing as a "wedding anniversary" in his dictionary!
He remedied the situation quickly and said in a confident (lying) voice: "I haven't forgotten.. I was just planning a surprise for later."
Then he excused himself to go to the bathroom. As soon as he entered and closed the door, he looked in the mirror in panic: "How did I forget? Damn it.. how am I going to get out of this fix?"
In a moment, he used his teleportation ability and disappeared from the bathroom, suddenly appearing inside the most upscale jewelry store in the area. He shouted at the worker: "Give me the most expensive and precious thing you have right now!"
The worker brought out a rare diamond necklace called "Memory's Tear".
The Black Eye asked, "How much is it?"
Worker: "The small one is 7 million, and the large one is 14 million currency."
The Black Eye threw the money digitally: "Take 16 million and give me the large one immediately!"
He returned to the bathroom in a second, then went out to the hall to find that everyone had left except Izola, who was sitting alone with sad features. He approached her slowly, then surprised her by kneeling on one knee and opening the velvet box.
Izola was dazzled by the sparkle of the diamonds representing "Memory's Tear." She gasped with joy and threw herself into his embrace, hugging him tightly, while restaurant patrons and staff burst into warm applause for this "criminal" who proved he had a hidden romantic side, even with some mistakes. Izola sighed as she touched the diamond necklace lovingly, saying, "The most precious gift I've ever received in my life is you."
The Black Eye stood up, and confusion gnawed at his composure. His hands were shaking slightly as he wrapped the necklace around her neck, then said in a quiet, calm voice, "It really looks beautiful on you."
Izola looked in the mirror in fascination: "'Memory's Tear'.. I was planning to buy it one day, how did you know it was my favorite taste?"
The Black Eye froze in place, and a silent struggle raged in his mind: (Wait.. what? Was it really her taste?) Then he replied with feigned coolness to hide his astonishment: "I don't know.. it was planned, nothing more." (While he was screaming inside: (It was pure coincidence!)).
As they went out, he tried to retrieve his mask, but she gently stopped his hand: "Never mind.. let's walk naturally tonight." He hid his mask and walked beside her in the quiet streets of World Zero until they reached an empty garden centered by a water pond reflecting the starlight.
They sat there, and Izola leaned against his chest, surrendering to sleep in his arms. The Black Eye stared at her calm face, his mind buzzing with Arlene's words: (You must fulfill your promise whatever your circumstances.)
He thought to himself bitterly: (What should I do? How will I act now? If I tell her the truth, will she agree?)
He brought his head close to her hesitantly, kissed her briefly and fleetingly, then carried her lightly in his arms and vanished from the spot, transferring her directly to her bed in the palace.
He returned to his room, sat on the edge of his bed, and stared into space. He addressed himself with painful honesty: "Two years of our marriage.. and I still don't understand the point of all this. I don't feel that 'love' couples talk about. Has my condition reached this extent of numbness? I don't want to wrong her, and I don't want to hurt her with what I will do in the future.. She loves me sincerely, and I treat her as just a 'business relationship.' Damn everything.. I wish I had died that day and you hadn't saved me, Izola."
The next morning, the command offices were bustling with activity. Dazai was signing documents, and Izola was immersed in her papers, but she suddenly stopped and said, "Brother.. all I remember yesterday was that I was with him in the garden, then I fell asleep and woke up in my bed."
Dazai replied without lifting his eyes from the paper: "So? Where is the problem?"
Izola asked with curiosity mixed with disappointment: "Do you think he 'did it' yesterday? (meaning emotional closeness)"
Dazai replied coldly: "You know best, have you noticed anything changed in you?"
Izola sighed with annoyance: "No.. I don't think so, even though it was an ideal opportunity."
Dazai stopped writing and looked at her seriously: "A piece of advice for you.. approach him as a wife, not as a boss. Your formal way will never soften his heart."
Izola rolled her eyes and said, "I'll try.. and by the way, you were funny yesterday when you proposed to Rose at the restaurant, it was a good joke."
Dazai replied, returning to writing: "I wasn't joking.. I'm actually planning that."
Izola was astonished: "Good! You've finally decided to forget the past?"
Dazai said in a low voice: "All in all, I'd like a little change."
Izola smiled as she touched the "Memory's Tear" necklace and said, "I'll finish my work quickly to devote myself to my strange husband."
Dazai commented sarcastically: "So he didn't forget the anniversary?"
Izola laughed and said: "No, he forgot it completely! But he acted with crazy speed.. I know him well, when he lies he gets flustered, and this confusion is what I like most about him.. it makes him look 'human' for moments."
Dazai replied: "Good.. I hope things settle between you two, for the coming storms will spare no one." While the work papers fluttered between Izola's hands, Dazai leaned back in his chair and asked in a questioning tone: "What's really strange is that throughout the past two years, he never tried to truly get close to you, even last year he forgot your wedding anniversary completely.. doesn't this coldness bother you?"
Izola looked at him with eyes filled with a mixture of love and sorrow: "I excuse him, my brother.. We pressure him a lot, and the missions we throw on his shoulders leave him no room to breathe or act naturally. I know that sometimes I am harsh on him and act sadistically and coldly, but I cannot imagine a day when he drifts away from me; he is all I have."
Dazai nodded in agreement: "Yes, and me too.. He is my right hand, and a brilliant operative who does everything asked of him without hesitation or laziness. His presence in our organization is the safety valve." Izola smiled contentedly and went back to drowning in papers, unaware of the internal conflict tearing her husband apart in the next room.
In the First World: Madness of Vengeance and Rituals of Death
In a dark room, Clariss sat before a huge screen, replaying the scene of Arius's killing a thousand times. She watched the hand of the "Black Eye" piercing her lover's chest, watching his cold features as he humiliated the knight she had waited for so long.
Her blood was boiling, and the veins in her hand were prominent as she whispered in a hoarse voice: "I will find you.. I will kill you, you vile criminal." Suddenly, a blade of pure energy pierced the wall, hitting the poster of the "Black Eye" right in the middle of his forehead. She screamed with hatred: "Death will be the last name you utter! I will never forgive you!"
Behind the door, Nahira was watching silently and mockingly, thinking to herself: (I can't believe a rising criminal did what I was planning to do. This "Black Eye" is interesting, I will crush him with my own hands soon to show him his true size, while my stupid sister.. will be the perfect bait.)
Nahira opened the door and entered with a brilliant act: "My dear Clariss, why aren't you sleeping? It's the middle of the night, your body needs rest."
Clariss replied without turning around: "Get out."
Nahira smiled and stepped forward to hug her with fake sadness: "I promise you we will take revenge.. we will find that villain and crush him together, my sister, trust me."
Suddenly, Clariss turned to her with absent eyes and said, "Sister.. I want to perform that ritual you used to summon that warrior previously."
The blood froze in Nahira's veins, and she stammered: "Which.. which ritual do you mean?"
Clariss said with terrifying sternness: "The ritual you used to summon the warrior.. I want to use it, but not to kill the Black Eye, but to bring my husband Arius back from the dead!"
Nahira's shock was too great to hide: "What?! This is very dangerous, Clariss! The cost.."
Clariss interrupted her madly: "I don't care! Bring me all the prisoners you hide in the lower cages.. I will sacrifice them all, a hundred, a thousand, it doesn't matter! I will offer their souls as a sacrifice for Arius to return!"
Clariss left the room with steady steps, leaving Nahira in a state of shock and real worry: (How did she know about the ritual? And how did she know about the secrets I hide in the basements? And most importantly.. how did she know about the blood condition I made? This stupid girl has come close to uncovering the terrifying truth I've been choking for years!) . Feelings of hatred and the desire for revenge intertwined across the Sixth World, so while the wounds were still bleeding, weapons were being honed with terrifying silence.
In the royal training ground, Ramus was striking steel training stakes with bare fists emitting sparks of energy. Images of Arius's killing and the "Black Eye's" humiliation of him repeated in his mind like an endless tape. He stopped suddenly, panting, blood bleeding from his knuckles, and muttered with annoyance: "I can't believe Arius, that fool I considered a rival, was crushed so easily like a nobody! I'll make you pay, mask wearer.. I'll show you the true power of the king of the Sixth World."
As he walked through the cold corridors, his hand stopped at Lena's door handle when he heard her muffled sobbing and heart-wrenching crying. He hesitated for a moment, fighting his desire to enter and comfort her, but his wounded pride and the sight of his weakness before her prevented him, so he let go of the handle and walked away silently, leaving behind a sorrow that words cannot cure.
In an isolated area surrounded by towering mountains, Wang was supervising Mythos's suicidal training. They stopped to catch their breath, and Mythos asked: "Tell me, Wang.. did you find a flaw in my abilities?"
Wang answered seriously: "Yes.. when you faced Ramus previously, a massive energy erupted from you for seconds, your body expanded in a terrifying way and you completely lost control. That energy was huge, but unstable, like a volcano about to erupt."
Mythos replied thoughtfully: "I think this goes back to my origin.. my people rely on 'compressed energy' as a final incentive in fateful battles, but I cannot control this internal boiling."
Wang looked at him with a deep gaze and said: "What you showed, I have only seen once in my life, and that was 2 million years ago, from a warrior belonging to your same gender and race."
Mythos's eyes widened: "Was he strong?"
Wang said: "He was formidable.. but his recklessness was his end. He dared to stand in the face of Ruler Karma, objecting to his system, so he was erased from existence in the blink of an eye."
Mythos felt a chill run through his body: "Erased completely?"
Wang shook his head: "Yes, don't worry about old stories, focus on refining yourself so you don't repeat his fate."
Nightmare of the Worlds: The Truth of Baryon
Ramus arrived at the training spot and landed with dignity before Wang, who initiated the question: "Is there something wrong, sir?"
Ramus replied while watching Mythos: "I am shocked by what we saw at the party.. Is World Zero so dangerous that the 'Black Eye' acts however he pleases?"
Wang answered in a composed voice: "More than you can imagine.. World Zero is the graveyard where the righteous enter to become corrupt by their own will. It is a stronghold for the most dangerous entities, such as Celes, leader of Izoria, and Dazai, leader of Gestoria, and most dangerous of all.. the nightmare everyone fears: Baryon."
Ramus rose and shouted with anger that almost blew up the place: "Baryon?! Did you say Baryon? The butcher who destroyed my planet and annihilated my people, the 'Celestins' ?!"
Wang nodded sorrowfully: "Indeed.. the same one. The incident of his annihilation of your race was terrifying; he didn't just destroy your planet in the Sixth World, but hunted down every single individual of the Celestins in the Ten Worlds and annihilated them down to the last man without anyone knowing the reason to this day."
Ramus clenched his hands tightly enough to crush his bones, his eyes blazing with a lethal red light:
"Then that villain is hiding there.. I swear by every drop of blood spilled from my people, I will go to that cursed world and rip his heart out with these two hands!"