Mint City's skyline glowed gold from the erupting A-Level Gate, casting long shadows over the buildings. Hunters sprinted through the streets, citizens evacuated in a panic, alarms blaring across every device.
But Kairo didn't follow the evacuation route.
He sprinted toward the light.
Zero and the shadow soldiers moved with him—silent streaks of darkness gliding across rooftops.
The city had erupted into chaos.
And chaos, apparently, attracted more than monsters.
---
Titanfall Guild HQ
The Titanfall Guild tower stood tall like a fortress—steel plating, mana shields, and banners fluttering with the guild's sigil. As Kairo approached, the entrance was swarming with Hunters, officers, and medics.
The A-Rank woman from before stood waiting.
She didn't look angry anymore.
She looked desperate.
"You!" she barked. "Inside. Now."
Kairo crossed his arms.
"Why? I don't work for Titanfall."
"You do today," she snapped.
Zero stepped forward slightly—an unspoken threat.
Her expression faltered.
"…Please," she said, lowering her voice.
"It's about the Gate. We need your help."
Kairo paused.
He wasn't used to Hunters—especially high-rankers—asking instead of demanding.
"Talk," he said.
She exhaled.
"Someone is inside our headquarters. Someone who shouldn't be."
Kairo frowned. "A spy?"
"Not just a spy," she corrected.
"A Sovereign agent."
Kairo stiffened.
Zero's eyes glowed faintly.
"Master. We must proceed carefully."
Kairo stepped inside.
---
The Guild's Panic
The interior of Titanfall HQ was a mess:
Doors ripped off hinges
Mana lights flickering
Blood splattered on marble floors
Hunters unconscious in the halls
Smoke drifted from the lower levels.
The A-Rank woman gritted her teeth.
"They hit us without warning. Someone bypassed every layer of security. We think they're connected to the A-Level Gate."
Kairo frowned.
"Connected… how?"
She pointed toward the surveillance monitors.
The screens were shattered… except for one.
A masked figure stood near the Gate's red glow, chanting quietly, their hands moving like a ritual.
Kairo's pulse quickened.
Zero spoke quietly:
"That is a Sovereign mark."
The woman looked at Zero sharply.
"What did you say?"
Kairo ignored her.
"Which Sovereign?" he asked.
Zero's voice lowered.
"Radiant… or one of its servants."
Kairo's chest tightened.
If the Radiant Tyrant was already interfering, then the Gate wasn't just a threat—
It was a message.
---
The Masked Infiltrator
Kairo and Zero reached the lower section of the HQ. The metal walls were melted, floor scorched with golden mana.
The infiltration wasn't stealth.
It was domination.
A whisper drifted through the air—soft, mocking.
"Oh… you survived."
Kairo stopped cold.
The masked figure from the footage stepped out of the shadows—tall, draped in white robes trimmed with gold, their mask glowing like a miniature sun.
Their voice echoed with distortions, as if multiple beings spoke at once.
"Impressive. The new vessel has strength."
Kairo's fists clenched.
"Who the hell are you?"
The figure tilted their head.
"A messenger. Nothing more."
Their gaze moved behind Kairo, toward Zero.
"And you… a shadow that breathes. How nostalgic."
Zero's posture stiffened.
"Master, this entity is extremely dangerous."
The masked infiltrator chuckled.
"Oh, I know. But I'm not here to kill you."
Their hand rose.
"I'm here to warn you."
A blast of golden energy shot forward—
Zero blocked it instinctively, but the attack still shoved him back several meters, cracking the floor.
Kairo summoned shadow armor around his arms.
"You call that a warning?"
The masked entity stepped closer.
"A-Level Gates do not open on their own. We open them."
Kairo's eyes narrowed.
"Who is 'we'?"
The figure leaned in.
"The Sovereigns…
…and the Radiant Tyrant wants your head."
Kairo felt the Shadow Crest burn painfully beneath his shirt.
The masked figure continued:
"He knows the Shadow Sovereign has chosen a new vessel.
He knows you will rise.
So he wants to make sure you die before you ascend too far."
Kairo stepped forward.
"Tell him he can try."
The masked infiltrator exhaled in amusement.
"I will. But you won't like his answer."
They tapped the floor once—
golden ripples spread outward—
and the entire guild building shook.
The masked figure vanished into light.
Left behind was a final whisper:
"See you at the Gate, Forgotten King."
---
The Guild's Reaction
Moments later, Titanfall Hunters flooded the hallway. The A-Rank woman approached, gripping her warhammer.
"Kairo—what happened? Who was that?"
He didn't give her the full truth.
"Something connected to the Gate.
Something planning the attack."
She swallowed hard.
"Are you… going to fight it?"
Kairo cracked his knuckles, shadow aura rising like smoke.
"Of course."
Zero bowed beside him.
"We follow your will."
The woman stared at them—at their combined aura of darkness and something ancient—and whispered:
"…The rumors were right."
Kairo raised an eyebrow.
"What rumors?"
She hesitated, then answered:
"They're calling you the Shadow King."
Kairo froze.
Not Shadow Hunter.
Not E-Rank.
Shadow King.
He sighed.
"…Great."
Zero's eyes glowed with pride.
"A fitting title, Master."
Kairo rolled his eyes.
"No. It's not."
But even he felt it—
Something inside him agreed.
---
Toward the A-Level Gate
Outside, the golden pillar expanding above the city grew brighter, swelling like a second sun.
The System chimed loudly:
[A-LEVEL GATE APPROACHING FULL BREAK]
Time Remaining: 2 hours, 17 minutes
Threat Level: Catastrophic
Kairo looked at the glowing sky.
Zero stepped behind him.
"Master. Shall we proceed?"
Kairo exhaled slowly.
"…Yeah. Let's end this."
As they ran toward the Gate, the entire guild watched him go—
not with suspicion…
…but with fear
and hope.