Where had he heard this name before???
Why did it feel like more than just a name…
But a sentence being pronounced???
A name that precedes its owner, walking before him like a long, endless shadow...
Nero.
A name that strikes terror into hearts before his face is even seen...
But the moment he blocked the knight's attack—the attack that everyone else had failed to stop—was enough to confirm the truth that no one dared speak:
This man… is different.
He appeared to be in his mid-twenties, yet his calm was not the calm of a youth. It was the composure of a man who had lived far longer than he should have. His true age exceeded thirty, but his eyes carried something far older than that.
He was tall, straight-backed, with a porcelain-white face as if it had never been touched by the sun, and black hair… blacker than the night itself.
As for his eyes—they were like a candle that had just been extinguished. There was no light in them, yet the trace of the burning remained...
Amidst the violent rain and the winds that turned the earth upside down, Nero stood firmly, with the men of the SI Army lined up in tense silence behind him.
The knight stumbled after his attack was halted. He stood for a moment… as if trying to comprehend what had happened...
Then he lunged...
A speed unseen. Nothing was heard but the tearing of the air.
The SI men prepared to attack, but Nero's arm rose quietly.
"Do not move."
It was not a shout. It was an indisputable order...
The knight approached, and the moment his blade was about to close the distance—Nero drew his sword.
It was unlike other swords. It wasn't metallic. It didn't reflect the lightning. It appeared as if it were a dark piece carved from the void itself. A sword black to its very edge. Black in a way that swallowed light.
The blades collided.
No sparks. No sound of an explosion. Only a heavy silence… as if the world had taken a breath and stopped.
The knight recoiled. He stood again.
Then—he bowed.
He bowed in respect. He bowed in reverence. As if before his master...
Everyone froze. Even the rain seemed to soften its fall. It was a moment written by fate long ago...
And the strangest part—Nero didn't seem surprised. Instead, he looked as though he had been waiting specifically for this moment.
The knight remained bowed, silent, obedient. Finally, Nero turned slowly toward Raym and those with him. A faint, soulless smile passed over his lips.
"Well… well… what do we have here??? More scoundrels causing chaos??? …Oh. It's you."
He fixed his gaze upon them...
"I don't know your goal in chasing that scoundrel Araki, but you are standing in my way. And in the way of the SI Army..."
His eyes stopped on Raym. His voice changed...
"And you… wait. You are one of the followers of…"
His features suddenly hardened...
"You bastards… so you have formed an alliance..."
That was when the atmosphere changed. Blackness began to gather around him. Not an ordinary shadow… but a living, pulsating darkness...
The lightning light faded. The sound of rain dimmed. And the place became pitch black.
Nero directed all his focus toward Raim—and lunged...
Raym was almost unable to move. His body would not respond. His breath was heavy. But Lorain, Saon, and Round all lunged forward to stand in his way...
Nero looked at them with a cold gaze, devoid of recognition.
"You… do not deserve my time..."
And in an instant—waves of darkness swallowed them. No screams were heard. Only disappearance...
He advanced slowly toward Raym. Every step was heavy, terrifying. The grass withered under his feet. Life withdrew from the earth. Nothing remained between them.
He grabbed Raym's shirt and lifted him high. Darkness coiled around them, as if the world had ended and only the two of them remained...
"You filthy bastard… you are one of the followers of that criminal, aren't you??? You killed them all without mercy..."
His grip tightened...
"You weren't satisfied with that… you destroyed my masterpiece. My prison that I spent my life tending to. You freed the specimens… the lab rats… and you hurt my loyal friend after everything he has been through."
His eyes turned deep crimson...
"I will never forgive you."
He began to choke him. The world narrowed around Raym. The air vanished. Sound faded. He felt death was near. He struggled in vain...
Then—in a final, desperate attempt, he unleashed the element of light with everything he possessed.
A massive explosion of light. It tore through the darkness as if it had never existed. The blackness dissipated instantly. Everyone was blinded.
In that moment—Round lunged with lightning speed, gripping Nero's arm with all his strength until he released Raym. The others rushed, pulled Raim with them, and fled...
Everything that happened… was before Nero's eyes. He did not chase them. He looked at his arm with mild surprise, as if something small had piqued his interest.
But he did not speak a word. He turned to his men...
"Our work here is done. Treat this knight in the best way possible. As long as you are with me… he will not harm you."
Yet, no one dared to approach the knight.
Far from there—they had put a great distance between them. They survived… miraculously.
Raym sat panting, trying to catch his breath which still burned in his chest. He looked at Lorain, tried to speak, but words failed him. Finally, he said in a broken voice:
"Who… is Nero??? And why… have I heard his name before???"
Lorain hesitated slightly, his voice not without a tremor...
"I told you before… he is one of the top commanders in the SI Army. Nero… the left hand of Ruler Magnum. One of the most dangerous men in existence..."
He was silent for a moment, then added:
"He was once of great importance in the "Kingdom of Arkin"… and it is said he is its sole survivor."
No one said anything after that. Raym looked at his arm. He remembered the grip. He remembered the helplessness. He realized… how small he was before this world...
When they were sure they had gone far enough, they decided to end the mission there. And with the first threads of dawn—a long struggle with the night came to an end.
Lorain apologized for what happened, saying they had endangered themselves without getting answers from Araki. But Raym apologized in turn. He admitted that he had doubted him… and that he had been seeing things only as he wished...
Lorain offered to accompany him to the base. The road is long, and having a companion is a wise idea...
Raym finally returned. The base had moved after the events of the last sect. But—Vail was waiting for him. Every day. All the time...
When he saw him, there was a sad… apologetic look in his eyes. There were many words in his heart. And in Raym's as well...
A long silence prevailed between them. Then—Raym took a step forward. And finally accepted his apology...
And he began to tell him what happened… and introduced him to Lorain.
And with the full sunrise—a chapter ended, and something far more dangerous began...