— Reunion at the Edge of Darkness —
Eren had just fought to suppress the sickening resonance humming between his core and the Black Fog when a different kind of chaos washed over him—human commotion, sharp with alarm and an undercurrent of rough familiarity.
His eyes lifted.
Amidst the sea of black Vigil-Wyrm cloaks and the rigid blue-armored soldiers, one figure stood outtowered like a living wall. That broad, rounded back, the mountainous build...
Eren's breath hitched. His heart seemed to stutter, skipping a painful beat.
"...Cael?"
Impossible to mistake. That unmistakable silhouette belonged to Cael Stryblade.
The brother who'd been with him through every scrape, every prank, every stolen meal.
The one who always, always charged in first.
Three years ago, Cael had left nothing but a text: "Eren. Off to chase a dream somewhere special. When I get back, I'll have your back." Then, he'd vanished into thin air.
Eren had never imagined, not in a million years, that their reunion would be here—in this godforsaken place, on the bleeding edge of the "SSS-Class Absolute Forbidden Zone."
As if sensing the weight of a familiar gaze, the mountainous figure stiffened and whirled around.
Their eyes met.
For a split second, Cael's face was a blank slate of pure shock. Then, it cracked open with a wave of unadulterated joy and a familiar, goofy grin straight from their childhood.
The next instant, Cael was moving.
"Eren?! EREN?! What in the nine hells are you DOIN' here?!"
His voice thundered, making nearby blue-helmets scramble for weapons, fearing the Fog.
Then came the tackle-hug—a bone-crushing embrace that felt like being wrapped by a grizzly bear.
"Ugh—Enough! You trying to snap my spine?" Eren gasped, the world creaking around him.
Cael finally let go, sniffling, and without a second thought, wiped his nose on Eren's jacket.
Eren froze, staring at the damp spot on his chest. A familiar, long-suffering rage bubbled up. "Get OFF me! Three years and you're still the same disgusting mess!"
He shoved Cael back hard. Cael stumbled, his expression shifting from delight to utter bewilderment.
"Hold on—since when are you so strong?" Cael squinted, then his eyes took on a focused gleam. A faint, golden light shimmered in his pupils—his 'Heaven Eye' activating. He scanned Eren, and his jaw dropped.
"What the—?! Your life force... it's raging like a flood dragon in a storm! What have you been doing for three years?!"
Before Eren could answer, Aveline stepped forward, her tone cool and definitive. "So you know each other. Good. Eren is a key asset we've brought in for this operation."
"Him? An asset?!" Cael's face paled.
He grabbed Eren's arm, trying to drag him back toward the helicopters. "Are you insane? This place is a death trap! Eren, get out of here. Now!"
Eren broke the grip with ease, a faint smile on his lips. "Drop the big brother act, Cael. I'm not the kid you need to protect anymore."
"I can see you're stronger," Cael's voice dropped, his expression turning deadly serious for the first time. "But this isn't about strength. You don't belong here. You're not Vigil-Wyrm. I won't... I won't watch you die here."
"That's enough, Operative," Ethan cut in, his voice firm. "Mr. Eren's participation is vital. His safety is our concern."
Cael reluctantly released his grip but didn't back away, planting himself stubbornly at Eren's side like a colossal bodyguard.
Eren arched an eyebrow. "So, when you vanished, I figured you'd been shanghaied to a gem mine. Turns out you joined the mythical Vigil-Wyrm Order?"
"As if!" Cael snorted. "I'm a Master-Class operative now! With a Heaven's Eye! Energy flows, spatial rifts, illusions—nothing hides from me!"
Eren's gaze fell to the worn, grey wooden sword at Cael's waist. "And they let you keep the stick?"
"You don't get it!" Cael drew the sword with a flourish. With a casual flick of his wrist—
Luminous sword blossoms danced through the air—beautiful, deadly.
"To travel the world with sword in hand, righting wrongs... that's the dream," Cael said, his small eyes shining with a sincerity that was almost... endearing.
— The Strange Ensemble —
"Hey, Cael. Who's the new guy?"
A young man sauntered over, meticulously slicking back his already-glistening hair as he gave Eren a once-over.
Cael grunted. "My brother from another mother, Eren. This joker is my teammate, Slim Fox."
The man's face immediately contorted with rage. "IT'S ROWAN LEE! ROWAN! NOT SLIM FOX!" He hated the nickname that implied he was 'sly as a fox.'
Eren wondered how he'd earned it.
Thunk!
A small, elegant throwing knife buried itself in the fabric of Cael's pants, right on the backside, the blade quivering.
Cael sighed. "See? Fast. Accurate. Sneaky. Hence, 'Slim Fox.'"
"You padded your pants?!" Rowan sputtered, outraged.
He then turned to Eren, his demeanor shifting instantly into that of a chivalrous blade master. "Rowan Lee, at your service. They say my flying knives never miss their mark."
He might have looked the part of a dashing hero... if one ignored the ridiculous floral shorts he wore beneath his cloak.
Eren felt a chill. He'd barely registered the knife's flight path.
Before he could speak, a whisper of movement, lighter than air, caught his attention.
A woman... floated towards them. It wasn't a metaphor—she floated as if gravity were optional.
Her features were exquisitely carved, her eyes beneath long lashes unnaturally bright, a captivating beauty mark by her right eye adding a touch of allure... and profound danger.
Eren's first thought: She looks less like a living person and more like a vengeful spirit from a ghost story.
Her gaze swept over the three of them. Her voice was soft, yet it carried a pressure that crushed all sound. "Are you quite finished?"
Rowan and Cael snapped to attention like scolded schoolboys, voices in unison: "Commander Nadia! Our apologies!"
Eren stared. What level of authority does this woman wield?
"Five thousand one-handed push-ups," Nadia stated, her tone utterly flat. "Now."
Their faces fell, but they dropped to the ground without a word of protest, their movements becoming a blur of frantic speed.
Aveline watched, amused. "Some never learn."
Ethan approached, his demeanor respectful. "Commander Nadia, what's the frontline status?"
Nadia's eyes remained fixed on the churning Fog. "It has worsened. Two of our Commanders are now trapped inside."
Ethan's face tightened. "Will the Grand Commander intervene?"
"The Headquarters must remain guarded," Nadia replied, her voice growing colder. "However... Black Boss is coming."
Ethan's composure cracked. "Black Boss? Personally?!"
Eren leaned toward Aveline, whispering, "Who's 'Black Boss'?"
Aveline gave him a mysterious smile. "You'll never guess."
Before Eren could retort—
Shhh—!
A deafening tear split the Fog. The dense murk was violently split apart.
A figure, blacker than the deepest shadow, shot out from the rift. It moved not like a running man, but like a slash of darkness cutting through reality, a bolt of black lightning aimed straight for them!
Every hair on Eren's body stood on end. Instinct took over, muscles coiling, stance shifting into a defensive posture—
An enemy...? Here?!