Weeks melted away like sand through an hourglass. The air grew thick with impending doom. Sen's usual calm demeanor was edged with a rare urgency.
"Nero," he said, his voice cutting through the tranquil training ground. "You only have a few days left. Complete your preparations. They are searching for you like a pack of wild dogs. It is only because of me that they have not yet found your scent."
Nero nodded, the weight of the world settling on his shoulders. He followed Sen's final instruction, chanting an intricate spell. The air before him rippled, twisting into a shimmering teleportation doorway. After a few attempts to stabilize the connection, he stepped through.
The world that greeted him was one of breathtaking beauty. He stood in a realm reminiscent of ancient China, where mist-clad mountains pierced a serene blue sky, and the air was sweet with the scent of plum blossoms. The environment was so peaceful it felt like a dream.
His destination was a majestic castle that stood in harmonious balance with the nature surrounding it. Approaching the grand gates, he bowed respectfully to the guards.
"I humbly request an audience with the Great Lord, Lu Sheng."
The guards eyed his foreign attire with suspicion. "You are not from these lands. Leave now," one commanded, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.
When Nero stood his ground, they attacked. But their skilled strikes met only air. With a series of fluid, non-lethal motions, Nero gently disabled them, leaving them unconscious on the pristine ground.
A presence then descended—a pressure so immense it felt like the sky itself was pressing down. Nero's knees buckled, his spirit groaning under the strain. Yet, he forced himself to stand tall, his will a defiant flame against the crushing force.
The lord of this land arrived. To Nero's astonishment, Lu Sheng was a young man, appearing only a few years his senior. His hands were clasped behind his back, and his eyes held the depth of millennia.
Lu Sheng observed Nero, a flicker of amusement in his gaze. "Young man," he said, his voice calm yet resonating with power. "I am confused by your actions. I cannot decide if you are an enemy or a friend."
Switching to a formal, ancient dialect, Nero bowed again. "Please forgive this junior for his foolish actions. I am here to seek the help of Senior Lu Sheng. Please do not refuse. Countless lives depend on your answer."
Lu Sheng considered him for a long moment. "Hmm." He finally gestured for Nero to follow. "Come."
///
Within the castle's serene halls, Nero laid bare the situation: the Eternal Fragment, the Fatebreakers, the coming calamity, and Vapi's tragic story.
Lu Sheng listened in silence. When Nero finished, the lord waved a hand, and the air filled with shimmering, trapped souls, their auras screaming of immense power.
"Do you see this?" Lu Sheng asked.
Nero's breath hitched. "So many powerful souls..."
"These are the Gate Users who tried to perish this land," Lu Sheng explained. "Even a Fifth Gate User's soul is trapped here."
"Then you understand the threat! With your power—"
"That is precisely why I cannot help you," Lu Sheng interrupted, not unkindly. "It is not because I hate Gate Users. I am aware there are good souls who wield that power. The true reason is this: if I participate, the Sixth Gate Users will be compelled to interfere to stop me. And following them... the Seventh." A shadow of genuine caution crossed his face. "Gate 7 is a title not to be mess with. Even the Supreme Entities fear it. Trust me, Gate 7 is also something else entirely. My participation would only decrease your chance of victory. I hope you can understand."
Seeing the despair on Nero's face, Lu Sheng's expression softened. "However, even if I cannot join your battle, I can offer you something else. But first... how about a duel? I wish to test your battle spirit."
The fight was short and utterly one-sided. Lu Sheng's martial arts were transcendent, his movements untouchable. Yet, he saw potential in Nero's raw, unrefined style.
"The way you fight is unique," Lu Sheng noted. "Did you copy some ancient war art from the Soul Library, as other Gate Users do?"
"No," Nero replied, catching his breath. "This art doesn't belong to me completely. I learned it from my mother, and she from her clan... and my father."
Lu Sheng nodded, impressed. "That's noble. Keep improving it." He then gifted Nero two priceless treasures: a scroll for the "3000 Lightning Steps" battle art and a Soul Strengthening Scripture.
As Nero prepared to leave, Lu Sheng stopped him. "You forget to take this idiot with you."
A familiar crackle of energy filled the air. The Calamity of Thunder materialized, its form buzzing with power.
Nero bowed deeply. "Thank you for your help."
On the journey back, the Calamity of Thunder buzzed with amusement. "So, you actually convinced Master Lu Sheng. Not bad."
Nero smiled. "Well, it's all thanks to you. In Aryavarta, you told me your original master was a kind and gentle man. I thought it was worth a try. Thankfully, it worked."
///
The fated day arrived. The sky above the Hunter's Association was a bruised purple, cracked with thousands of lightning bolts. The city had been evacuated. Nero's team stood at their designated positions, a small bastion of hope against the coming storm.
Inside the Association, the restrictions containing Vapi began to groan and weaken as his power swelled to a breaking point.
Portals, glitched and unstable, ripped open the sky. A flood of monstrous beings poured through—Thunderbirds, Giant Serpents, Chaos Worms—a legion of chaos unleashed upon the world.
'Nero, can I start the Nerf Engine now?' Seino's voice buzzed in Nero's communication earpiece, laced with panic. 'Innocent hunters will die!'
"Hold," Nero commanded, his voice cold and focused. "The thing coming next is more overwhelming than what you see now."
As if on cue, a new crack tore through the heavens. This one was different—it bled a vast, negative aura that made the very light recoil. From it emerged a hound-like entity of pure shadow, followed by a battalion of dark soldiers.
Their hollow gazes instantly locked onto Nero. They could sense the death-cries of their fallen comrades clinging to his aura. Ignoring everything else, they charged straight for him.
Nero commanded his team to handle the monster horde while he dealt with this new threat. But Sugeto, in a moment of reckless bravery, moved to intercept. Before he could even get close, his body began to corrode, the flesh on his arm withering to reveal bone beneath.
Nero moved in a blur of blue light. Priest magic flared from his hands, knitting Sugeto's flesh back together in an instant. "These are Dark Entities, Sugeto! Without priest magic, no matter how strong you are, you are nothing to them! Don't be foolish again!"
The battle lines were drawn. Nero would face the dark entities and the strongest foes. MYTH, Sugeto, the Calamity of Thunder, General Blaze, and Toki would hold the line against the endless monster waves. Seino remained at his post, his Nerf Engine humming, ready to support.
Meanwhile, within the fortified Hunter's Association HQ, the hunters with borrowed Gate power were celebrating, oblivious.
"Those fools outside are just sacrificial tools, right?" one laughed, raising a glass.
Their joy was shattered by a blaring alarm—the highest-level breach alert. The most dangerous prisoner had broken free.
One hunter smirked, looking down at the surveillance feed. "That rat can never climb out from the underground facil—"
A beam of radiant, purifying light erupted from the depths of the building, vaporizing him and the entire top floors. The following screams were short-lived.
On the battlefield, everyone witnessed the Hunter's Association tower being cleaved in two.
MYTH's face was grim. "Here comes the disaster."
Vapi—or the being that was once Wil—rose from the rubble, his eyes burning with crimson fury. He moved with terrifying speed, obliterating the borrowed-power hunters and the Guild Master who had betrayed his friend.
Nero's eyes widened. "Damn, he's strong... We have to stop him before his rampage consumes the entire city!"
A searing pain shot through Nero's arm. A Dark Knight had closed the distance, its shadowy blade shearing through his limb like butter.
Nero gritted his teeth, priest magic already flaring to regenerate the lost arm. "Really, I can't take my eyes off you guys for a second!" He noticed the dark portal was still open, and he could feel a malevolent gaze from within, watching, waiting. With a surge of power, he cast a barrier spell, forcibly sealing the dark dimension's gateway. "One problem down. I really hate working hard."
His focus was broken by a cataclysmic explosion. Vapi stood amidst the ruins of the Association, his murderous intent a palpable wave. He now turned his gaze to the rest of the city.
Nero landed between Vapi and the fleeing civilians. "Hello there. You look angry, buddy."
Vapi growled, a sound that should have been incomprehensible. But to his surprise, Nero understood.
'Wait... you are not human. I sense a monster's heart pounding inside you. There is no need to attack a fellow comrade. Please, do not stand in my way.'
"Vapi, I understand your pain," Nero said, his voice steady. "Losing a precious friend is heartbreaking. But these innocent people are not responsible. The real culprits are hiding in the shadows. You have to destroy them."
Vapi let out a low, bitter laugh. 'You are really like him. But sorry... I have already made up my mind.'
" Well then," Nero said, his expression hardening. "I can't let you do that."
The battle that erupted was titanic. They were a blur of motion, each blow cracking the earth and shattering the air. Vapi was a force of nature, his power seemingly limitless.
'You are indeed a formidable opponent!' Vapi roared.
"You're not so bad yourself!" Nero grunted, blocking a strike that sent shockwaves through his entire body. "But if this continues, you will lose!"
'Hah! This is not even 10% of what I am capable of!' Vapi unleashed a punch that sent Nero flying through the air like a cannonball, followed by a barrage of energy blasts.
Nero knew he was holding back. His most lethal battle arts could kill Vapi, and he still hoped for peace. 'I should try Soul Resonance. It might loosen his soul's connection to Wil's body without destroying it.'
He unleashed the technique. A wave of pure spiritual energy hit Vapi, causing him to convulse. The connection between the prince's soul and his friend's body flickered.
"Please, don't force me!" Nero pleaded. "We can still talk!"
Vapi weakly raised his left hand. Thinking it was a sign of surrender, Nero cautiously approached.
It was a trick. The moment Nero was in range, Vapi delivered a devastating blow straight to his chest. The impact was so violent Nero's heart stopped for a single, terrifying second.
He crashed to the ground, gasping. 'If Eri's monster heart wasn't in my body... I would be dead.'
"Vapi," Nero spat, fury finally overriding his patience. "I thought you were a prideful being. I didn't expect cheap tricks."
'I am still prideful,' Vapi retorted. 'It is you who misunderstood. In my culture, the left hand means we never surrender. The right hand is for peaceful negotiation.'
Nero rose to his feet, his eyes blazing with azure light. "Then you leave me no choice."
He ascended into the air, his body becoming the epicenter of an inferno. Blazing Blue Flames erupted from him, swirling with the heat of a thousand suns, the very air distorting around him.
"I am asking you for the last time. Surrender."
Vapi looked up, a grim smile on his face. 'Damn it. This body still hasn't fully evolved. I can sense it... these flames can turn me to ashes.'
But his smile remained. Confused, Nero then heard a new voice, cold and laced with absolute authority, echo across the battlefield.
"How about you annoying people leave from here in one piece... before it's too late?"
Nero's senses screamed in alarm. This was a true Gate User, no borrowed power. And from the level of pressure... at least the Fourth Gate. Maybe higher.
Before he could react, a colossal explosion of force consumed him. His artificial body disintegrated instantly, turning to a skeleton and then to ashes in the blink of an eye.
Nero was gone.
A moment later, similar explosions consumed Toki and Seino. But their bodies remained intact, merely vanishing—teleported away, not destroyed.
Nero's consciousness flickered back to life. He opened his eyes, finding himself in a strange, unfamiliar location of pure white, the battle, the city, and Vapi nowhere to be seen.
He was alive, but the battle for Earth had taken a catastrophic turn.