Atheris stood there, his body trembling—not from fear…
…but from rage.
Blood dripped slowly from his arm.
His breathing was uneven.
And in his mind—
Only one thought remained.
System…
Consume everything.
Everything around me…
Even Nyxara.
[SYSTEM LOG: YES, MASTER.]
[CONSUMING ALL SURROUNDING ENERGY…]
[ABILITY IMPROVED TO 60%]
[NEW SKILL ACQUIRED: ZERO LAYER]
Atheris's eyes darkened.
No hesitation.
No fear.
Activate… Zero Layer.
[SYSTEM LOG: YES, MASTER.]
A sudden silence filled the air.
Even Nyxara noticed it.
She stopped moving.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Something changed."
She raised her hand slowly.
Not rushed.
Not threatened.
Just calm.
"Destroy."
A massive surge of energy gathered—dense, overwhelming, absolute.
Then—
She released it.
The blast shot forward—
Enough to erase cities.
Enough to tear reality apart.
Atheris lifted his head.
His eyes opened.
The energy… vanished.
[SYSTEM LOG: ENERGY CONSUMED]
[POWER LEVEL: 120%]
[ZERO LAYER POTENTIAL INCREASED]
[PROCEED WITH CAUTION]
Nyxara's expression didn't change.
But her eyes—
Locked onto his.
"…So it's true," she whispered.
Atheris's eyes had changed.
Dark blue.
Deep.
Endless.
Like staring into a collapsing universe.
Nyxara smiled.
Slowly.
Genuinely.
"You never cease to amaze me."
She stepped forward.
Calm.
Dominant.
"You've awakened the Zero Layer…"
Her voice dropped.
"…then I suppose I should stop holding back."
Atheris said nothing.
His arm regenerated instantly.
He clenched his fist—
And swung.
BOOM!!!
The entire building split apart.
Walls shattered.
Air collapsed inward.
Then—
Atheris froze.
Thrynn…
She was still inside.
His expression changed.
For the first time—
Fear.
He stretched his hand forward.
Not to attack.
But to protect.
Nyxara's eyes sharpened.
"…You're not attacking."
Then she realized.
"…You're consuming."
Atheris was pulling everything—
Energy
Matter
Presence
Even her
For the first time—
Nyxara raised her voice.
"Stop."
Everything froze.
Time stopped.
Sound vanished.
Movement ceased.
Even Atheris…
…couldn't move.
Nyxara walked toward him slowly.
Each step echoing through frozen reality.
"I hereby execute the Architect known as Atheris…"
She stood in front of him.
"…for using Zero Revision…"
A pause.
Her eyes darkened.
"…and for existing… when you were meant to be gone."
Time resumed.
Atheris disappeared.
Nyxara turned calmly.
"It's over."
Silence.
"…No."
She froze.
Atheris stood behind her.
Alive.
Nyxara's eyes widened—just slightly.
"That's impossible."
"You were erased."
Atheris said nothing.
His breathing was heavy.
His body breaking.
His eyes bleeding slightly.
But he moved.
He reached forward…
…and grabbed her soul.
For a moment—
Nyxara felt it.
Pressure.
Then—
CRUSH.
"REVERSE."
Time rewound.
Again.
But this time—
Atheris didn't move.
He stood there.
Unaffected.
Nyxara fell to one knee.
"…So this is it," she whispered.
"…the Zero Layer."
Zero Layer
A forbidden power.
A myth among Architects.
Control over:
Time
Space
Souls
Systems
But at a cost—
The user's body.
Atheris staggered.
Blood flowed from his eyes.
His body cracked under pressure.
[SYSTEM LOG: MAXIMUM LIMIT REACHED]
[DEACTIVATING ZERO LAYER]
He collapsed.
"…Beautiful."
A voice.
Atheris looked up.
Nyxara stood there.
Perfect.
Untouched.
"Surprised?" she asked softly.
"That… was only a vessel."
She tilted her head.
"I even left a human soul inside it."
A faint smile.
"So yes…"
"You killed someone."
Atheris's eyes shook.
Nyxara stepped closer.
Slow.
Unstoppable.
"I must admit… I'm impressed."
"That a human body could handle that power…"
She paused.
Then—
Revealed the truth.
"I am the First Architect."
Silence.
"And you…"
Her eyes locked onto his.
"…are the Second."
Atheris froze.
"You were too powerful," she continued.
"So I suppressed you."
"But even then…"
"You created worlds."
"Destroyed universes."
"And after Zytherion suppressed you again…"
She smiled.
"You still reached the Zero Layer."
Atheris coughed blood.
"…I'll kill you…"
Nyxara shook her head.
"You can't."
Suddenly—
Everything disappeared.
Earth…
Gone.
"This is not my real body."
"Not my full power."
"Not even my true existence."
She leaned closer.
"Atheris…"
"You are the only one who can touch me."
A pause.
"Because we were created…"
"…by the same Master."
Her voice dropped.
"And that makes you…"
"…a threat."
To be continued…