The meeting had not ended.
If anything, it had grown sharper.
Reports lay open across the quartz table — trafficking routes, broken patrol lines, Guild discrepancies.
Yun Shi's hand rested on the hilt of his katana.
"I despise slavery," he said quietly.
Not loudly.
Quietly.
"If I confirm even one organized chain operating across borders, I will not negotiate."
The air tightened.
"I will erase it."
Keln exhaled slowly. "We can't eliminate it entirely. Not yet. But we can cut supply lines. Intercept buyers."
"Then do it," Yun Shi replied.
No theatrics.
Just certainty.
The tension shifted when Keln spoke again.
"Where is Dante?"
The question lingered.
"It's been fifteen days," he continued. "No Astral Word. No diplomatic echo. Zenithellion is silent."
Jiyan frowned. "We attempted contact. Nothing returns. Not even interference."
Sora nodded. "It's not just quiet. It's sealed."
Yun Shi folded his arms.
"That is not Dante's style."
Before speculation could deepen—
The chamber doors opened.
Footsteps echoed across the quartz floor.
Measured.
Confident.
A figure entered.
Tall. Precise posture. Controlled presence. Long dark hair fell cleanly over her shoulders. Her gaze moved across the rulers without hesitation.
The room stilled.
Jiyan leaned forward.
"…You look familiar," he muttered.
The woman stopped at the center of the chamber.
"I am Dante."
Silence.
Complete.
Keln blinked once.
"…No," he said.
"Yes."
Jiyan stood slowly. "Wait. You're Dante?"
"Yes."
"You're… taller."
A pause.
"And significantly less ugly," he added thoughtfully.
The chamber inhaled.
Dante did not blink.
"I assume confusion is mutual," she said evenly. "So I will explain."
Yun Shi gestured. "Proceed."
Dante clasped her hands behind her back.
"A relic activated within Zenithellion."
The room shifted immediately.
"What relic?" Sora asked.
"The Flute of Krishna."
The name landed heavily.
Keln's expression darkened. "That artifact was catalogued as dormant."
"It was," Dante replied. "Until it wasn't."
She continued calmly.
"The activation altered biological composition across approximately half the population."
A beat.
"Converted male to female."
Silence.
Jiyan slowly sat back down.
"…You're serious."
"I am."
Sora pinched the bridge of her nose. "A mass transmutation relic?"
"Yes."
"And you sealed the Kingdom?"
"To prevent hysteria. And opportunistic exploitation."
That word lingered.
Yun Shi's grip tightened slightly on his katana.
"Can it be reversed?" Rose asked evenly.
"I am working on it," Dante said. "The effect appears stable but not irreversible."
Keln leaned back. "Fifteen days of silence for that reason."
"Yes."
Jiyan raised a hand cautiously. "Important question."
Everyone ignored him.
He continued anyway.
"Does this affect combat performance?"
Dante turned her head slowly toward him.
"No."
"Good," he said quickly. "Because I would hate to underestimate you and die for it."
A faint pause.
Dante's lips curved — not amused.
"Wise."
The tension eased.
Slightly.
Yun Shi cleared his throat.
"The Colosseum begins in two days. Can Zenithellion still participate?"
"Yes," Dante replied. "Haru and Yami remain unaffected."
"Then we proceed," Rose concluded.
Borders would tighten.
Night Fangs would move deeper.
The tournament would act as both spectacle—
And warning.
The meeting began to dissolve.
Chairs shifted. Documents sealed.
As rulers exited, Yun Shi paused beside Dante.
"You handled it efficiently," he said quietly.
"I had no choice."
He nodded once.
"Zenithellion stands because you do."
A brief pause.
Respect.
Nothing more.
He walked away.
Dante remained still for a moment longer.
Then followed.
Far above them, banners moved in artificial wind.
The world prepared for celebration.
Monsters were adapting.
Black markets were shifting.
Relics were awakening.
And even kings were reacting, not controlling.
The Colosseum would not just display strength.
It would measure who still possessed it.