Ton's body crashed onto the ground.
He lay still for a moment as the others stared in silence.
No one moved.
No one spoke.
They were looking at Junyu.
But the person standing in front of them…
wasn't Junyu anymore.
His white eyes stared coldly at them, and that unfamiliar smile remained on his face.
Katsa's expression broke.
"Oh, Junyu…"
Her voice trembled.
"What happened to you?"
Salim clenched his fists.
"That isn't our captain."
Ikiro stared at Junyu.
His eyes carried a mixture of anger and sadness.
"Who are you?"
Junyu slowly looked toward him.
Before Ikiro could react—
Junyu vanished.
A hand suddenly grabbed Ikiro's wrist.
"What—?!"
Junyu twisted his arm, used Ikiro's own momentum, and flipped him over his shoulder.
CRASH!
Ikiro hit the ground.
Junyu immediately followed him down, sitting over him as Ikiro struggled beneath his weight.
"All of you…"
Junyu looked at the others.
"…have lived long enough."
Salim's eyes hardened.
"I will make you pay for all of these words!"
Michael stepped forward.
"You will beg for mercy before I give it to you."
Junyu's smile disappeared.
"Mercy…"
He slowly tilted his head.
"…is a word that has no meaning."
His white eyes became colder.
"I am Death."
Ton looked toward Ikiro.
"Ikiro…"
His voice became serious.
"What does Unknown Soul even mean?"
Before Ikiro could answer—
The entire underground chamber began changing.
White fog started pouring across the floor.
It spread between their feet, climbed the walls, and slowly swallowed the battlefield.
Visibility dropped.
The air became cold.
Junyu's silhouette disappeared into the fog.
Then his voice echoed from everywhere.
"I WILL ANSWER ALL OF YOUR QUESTIONS…"
A pause.
"…IN MY WAY."
WHOOSH!
Junyu moved through the fog like a shadow.
Salim barely saw him.
A strike sent him stumbling backward.
Michael raised Regicide.
CRACK!
The weapon shattered before he could even swing it.
Michael stared at the broken pieces.
"REGICIDE?!"
Salim quickly grabbed his bow.
But before he could draw it—
CRACK!
The bow shattered in his hands.
Salim froze.
"What?!"
Junyu stepped out of the fog.
"Fine blade…"
He looked at the broken weapons.
"…it's mine now."
Ikiro pushed himself back onto his feet.
Blue flames erupted around his body.
He rushed forward.
But the flames suddenly vanished.
Ikiro stopped.
His eyes widened.
"What…?"
Junyu stood completely still.
"Your powers mean nothing to me."
The others stared at him.
Salim slowly stepped backward.
"We can't even use our powers against him…"
Katsa looked at Junyu.
Her eyes became watery.
"Junyu…"
She shook her head.
"We have to fight him…"
Her voice cracked.
"…but that's our captain."
Ikiro looked at her.
"I know."
He clenched his fists.
"But if we don't…"
He looked back at Junyu.
"…he'll destroy all of us."
Junyu suddenly disappeared.
Ikiro's expression changed.
"RUN!"
Everyone turned and sprinted through the fog.
Salim grabbed Katsa and lifted her up, carrying her as they escaped.
Junyu followed.
Every time they looked back, his silhouette was closer.
Ikiro ran beside them.
"Unknown Soul is a power that is so strong…"
He breathed heavily.
"It means…"
Suddenly—
Junyu appeared directly in front of him.
BOOM!
A powerful blast struck Ikiro in the chest.
He flew backward and crashed onto the ground.
"SHUT UP."
Ton turned around.
"WHAT?! TELL ME MORE!"
Ikiro struggled to move.
"Keep running!"
Michael shouted.
"We have to keep moving!"
They continued through the fog.
Michael finally spoke.
"It's the opposite of your real self!"
Ton looked at him.
"What?"
"Junyu's soul has been turned around!"
Michael glanced behind them.
"Everything about him has been reversed!"
"His personality, his instincts, his nature…"
"He's attacking us because his soul has become something completely unknown—even to him!"
Ton's expression tightened.
"Then how do we fix it?"
Michael looked at Junyu approaching through the fog.
"The only way…"
"…is to defeat him."
Junyu suddenly appeared beside them.
He smiled.
"Wow…"
Everyone froze.
"Great information."
Junyu stepped forward.
"I am normal."
His white eyes stared directly at them.
"I am Lacod Junyu…"
He paused.
"…son of Lacod Darmen."
His expression became cold.
"All of you will die."
Salim suddenly rushed toward him.
His fist connected with Junyu's face.
Junyu barely moved.
Salim stared at him.
"You're just the opposite…"
He pulled his fist back.
"…which means you're the second option."
Junyu slowly turned his head toward him.
"I am the first option."
Salim frowned.
"No, you are not."
Junyu moved.
A single kick struck Salim and sent him crashing across the ground.
Salim rolled to a stop.
"Ikiro!"
He looked toward him.
"How are your weapons breaking?!"
Junyu answered before Ikiro could.
"I will answer that."
He walked toward Salim.
"It is simple."
Junyu pointed toward the broken weapons scattered across the floor.
"Your weapons…"
He smiled.
"…don't want to harm me."
Everyone fell silent.
"And that…"
Junyu's white eyes glowed.
"…is the power of U.S."
Ton slowly stood up.
He looked at the others.
Then at Junyu.
His fists tightened.
"I don't have a weapon."
Junyu stared at him.
Ton stepped forward.
His expression hardened.
"I AM A WEAPON!"