Deep within the void—
Something laughed.
The sound echoed across endless darkness.
Cold.
Familiar.
Wrong.
And disturbingly—
it sounded like Null.
Back in the underground capital, nobody spoke.
One's words still hung in the air.
Aizeno found the Fifth Fragment.
Hyung broke the silence first.
"There were five?"
One looked at him.
"There were supposed to be three."
Zero sighed.
"Then Aizeno started experimenting."
D U immediately pointed.
"See? That's exactly the kind of sentence that causes world-ending problems."
For once—
nobody disagreed.
Null stepped forward.
"What is the Fifth Fragment?"
One's expression darkened.
"The piece that should never have existed."
The atmosphere became heavy.
Even the damaged King's Gate reacted.
Ancient symbols flickered across its surface.
As if it recognized the name.
Zero looked away.
Clearly uncomfortable.
One continued.
"When Aizeno split the original core..."
He pointed toward Null.
"The Heir."
Then Hyung.
"The Protector."
Then Zero.
"The Lost Piece."
One paused.
"But there was something left over."
Null frowned.
"What do you mean?"
One answered quietly.
"Everything unwanted."
Silence.
"The rage."
"The hatred."
"The obsession."
"The parts that couldn't be controlled."
A chill ran through the station.
D U's smile disappeared.
"...That's bad."
One nodded.
"Very."
Far away.
Inside a forgotten dimension.
A massive chamber stretched endlessly into darkness.
Thousands of chains covered the walls.
Ancient seals burned across the floor.
All broken.
All destroyed.
At the center sat a throne.
Not the King's throne.
Something older.
Something darker.
And upon it—
A young man sat casually.
Black hair.
Golden-black eyes.
A familiar face.
Too familiar.
Because he looked exactly like Null.
The only difference—
His smile.
Cruel.
Empty.
Hungry.
Aizeno stood before him.
Calm as always.
The young man rested his chin on one hand.
"So."
His voice echoed.
"The original finally woke up."
Aizeno nodded.
"Yes."
The young man laughed.
"I've waited a very long time."
The darkness around the throne twisted violently.
Entire mountains inside the dimension collapsed.
Aizeno remained unmoved.
"You know the agreement."
The young man's smile widened.
"I do."
His eyes glowed.
"And when I kill him?"
Silence.
Aizeno answered calmly.
"You don't."
The smile disappeared.
Instantly.
Dangerously.
For several seconds—
nothing moved.
Then the young man laughed again.
A louder laugh.
A crazier laugh.
"You always ruin the fun."
Aizeno turned away.
"The time isn't right yet."
The young man leaned back against the throne.
"Fine."
Then his eyes slowly narrowed.
"But when we meet..."
The chamber shook.
The chains melted.
The darkness screamed.
And his smile returned.
"I want the original to suffer."
Back at the underground capital—
The Royal Guardian returned.
CRASH.
The ancient soldier landed through a broken wall.
Damaged.
Armor cracked.
But operational.
D U stared.
"You're alive?"
The Guardian slowly stood.
"MINOR DAMAGE."
Everyone looked at the massive hole in its chest.
Then back at the Guardian.
D U blinked.
"Minor?"
The Guardian ignored him.
Its gaze locked onto One.
"THREAT CONFIRMED."
One sighed.
"You're still annoying."
The Guardian raised its spear again.
Null stepped between them.
"Enough."
Instant silence.
The Guardian immediately lowered its weapon.
"COMMAND ACCEPTED."
One watched carefully.
Then smiled.
"The inheritance is evolving faster than expected."
Null ignored him.
His attention remained elsewhere.
Because something felt wrong.
The spiral eye activated.
Again.
Pain shot through his skull.
A vision appeared.
Not a memory.
A future.
A battlefield.
Hyung covered in blood.
D U unconscious.
Eris missing.
The Guardian destroyed.
And standing above them all—
A figure identical to Null.
Smiling.
The vision vanished.
Null staggered.
Hyung immediately caught him.
"What happened?"
Null looked up slowly.
His face had gone pale.
Then he answered.
"The Fifth Fragment."
Everyone became silent.
Null clenched his fist.
"He knows where we are."
Far away—
The Fifth Fragment opened his eyes.
And smiled.
END OF CHAPTER 5