The early morning sun filtered weakly through the broken canopy of the destroyed jungle, casting long, jagged shadows across the scarred landscape. What was once a dense, thriving forest now resembled a battlefield frozen in time — massive trees lay snapped in half like twigs, the ground was littered with deep craters and charred debris, and faint traces of residual energy still crackled in the air like dying embers.
Nitsuki, Takashi, and Kento had finally pushed deep into the heart of the Exclusive Stone zone. In the center of the devastation stood the massive Exclusive Stone itself — a colossal crystal formation that pulsed with an eerie, unstable light, its surface covered in faint glowing veins that seemed to breathe with hidden power.
Takashi carefully lowered the still-drowsy Kento from his shoulder and placed him on a relatively flat patch of ground. Kento stumbled slightly as he found his footing, yawning loudly while rubbing the back of his neck with one hand.
Nitsuki, however, remained on high alert. He stood a few steps ahead of the others, his sharp eyes methodically scanning every direction — left, right, upward into the broken branches, and deep into the pools of shadow created by the fallen trees. The air around them felt unnaturally heavy and silent, as if the jungle itself was holding its breath.
Then, something caught his attention.
Just twenty meters away, partially concealed behind the splintered remains of a thick, uprooted tree trunk, Nitsuki caught a very brief glimpse — a human hand quickly retracting into the shadows.
His entire body tensed instantly. "I think someone's there…" he said in a low, urgent voice.
Takashi spun toward him immediately, his relaxed posture vanishing in a heartbeat. "What happened, Nitsuki? What did you see?"
Nitsuki quickly shook his head, forcing his expression and tone to stay casual. "Nah, nah… it's nothing. Forget it. Probably just my eyes playing tricks."
But deep down, Nitsuki knew he hadn't imagined anything.
Hidden behind that same thick broken trunk, Sami stood completely frozen in place. Her heart hammered violently against her ribs. She pressed one hand tightly over her chest as if trying to physically silence it. Beads of cold sweat rolled down her forehead and neck, soaking into the collar of her clothes.
"Ah… I almost got caught," she whispered to herself, barely breathing. "Why is Nitsuki observing everything so damn carefully today?"
Back with the main group, Kento crossed his arms and shot Nitsuki a lazy, complaining grin. "So now that you guys have dragged me all the way out here, what exactly are we supposed to do? You woke me up from a perfectly good sleep for no reason at all!"
Takashi forced a smile onto his face, though it looked extremely strained and unnatural. "Come on, Kento. We can't predict when Soul Reapers might appear out of nowhere. And let's be honest… no one else can handle them as effectively as you can when things get serious."
Kento narrowed his eyes and gave Takashi a long, weird, suspicious stare. Takashi maintained the awkward forced smile, refusing to look away.
"Liar!" Kento suddenly declared loudly, pointing dramatically.
Nitsuki, standing slightly to the side, had to slap a hand over his own mouth to stop himself from bursting into laughter. His shoulders trembled hard as he fought to keep the sound inside.
Takashi's voice grew firmer, though the smile never left his face. "Kento! That's enough. I already told you—"
Before the argument could escalate further, Nitsuki stepped between them, raising both hands. "Alright, alright, both of you just stop. We didn't come here to fight among ourselves. We came here for a reason — let's focus on the actual job first."
Kento shrugged with a cheeky smirk. "Yeah, yeah. Go ahead then, before Takashi dies from pure embarrassment."
Takashi kept staring at Kento with that same painfully forced smile but chose to stay silent this time. The group finally let the banter drop and turned their full attention back to the glowing Exclusive Stone.
Nitsuki took a slow, deep breath to center himself. His voice came out steady and clear. "Verse Slayer!"
The moment the words left his mouth, a magnificent sword materialized instantly in his right hand. The air around them reacted violently — a powerful gust of wind exploded outward, whipping their clothes and hair in all directions. The blade itself was breathtaking, glowing with intricate, ever-shifting runes that seemed to contain the very verses of reality within them.
Kento's eyes widened in genuine awe as he stared at the weapon. He muttered under his breath, "Huh… I've never seen such an incredible sword in my entire life. One day I'm definitely stealing that thing and challenging everyone one by one."
Standing right beside him, Takashi gave Kento a deep, highly suspicious sideways glance.
Kento noticed it immediately. "What? What's with that look now?"
Takashi replied in a perfectly calm tone, "Nothing… I was just wondering whether we have a thief living among us in our shelter."
"Ohhhhhhhhhhh….. What!!!!!" Kento's jaw dropped dramatically, his face twisting into exaggerated shock.
"Idiot," Takashi muttered, shaking his head in disbelief.
He quickly pulled his attention away from Kento and focused on Nitsuki. "Use it now. Don't hold back."
Nitsuki planted his feet firmly into the cracked ground, adjusting his stance with practiced precision. He raised the glowing Verse Slayer high above his head and declared with full determination, "Okay… I'm ready."
With a powerful battle cry, he brought the sword down in a wide, decisive horizontal arc.
What happened next shocked everyone.
A blinding flash of pure energy erupted from the blade. The slash did not merely cut the air — it tore through the fabric of reality itself. The massive Exclusive Stone in front of them was sliced cleanly in half from top to bottom. The two enormous halves slowly slid apart with a thunderous cracking sound that echoed through the ruined jungle. Golden light exploded outward from the broken core as raw, chaotic energy surged wildly into the surroundings, lighting up the entire area.
Kento's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "What the—?!"
Nitsuki stood completely frozen, his face locked in a mixture of total shock and rising frustration.
Takashi's usual calm composure shattered entirely. Genuine alarm and disbelief flooded his features as he stared at the destruction.
Kento's mouth hung wide open, completely speechless for once.
Even further back, hidden behind the tree, Sami's eyes widened to an almost comical size. She frantically clapped both hands over her mouth, barely managing to suppress a loud gasp of utter shock.
But before any of them could fully process what had just happened, the scene shifted abruptly.
Back in the grand mansion floating amid the star-filled cosmic void, the four kings — all young men of immense power — sat around the long crystal table. The Lord's youthful, innocent-sounding voice echoed from the massive monitor with calm, absolute authority.
"Since we have observed that the Soul Hunters are steadily growing stronger — especially Nitsuki and his friends, who have fallen perfectly into our carefully laid plan — the time has finally come to flip the coin."
Before he could continue, the 4th King politely raised his hand and interrupted. "Sorry for interrupting, my Lord, but there is someone you seem to be forgetting. It's Sung Jiwon Naa. I believe he is becoming stronger at a frightening rate. He already managed to defeat my second-ranked soldier."
The 2nd King let out a short, mocking laugh. "Hah, of course he lost. After all, he was only a soldier serving under the 4th King."
The 1st King immediately shot the 2nd King a sharp, angry glare. The 2nd King raised both hands in quick surrender. "Okay, okay… I take that back."
The Lord's voice returned, sounding thoughtful yet completely in control. "Hmm. Sung Jiwon Naa… the Wind Phore user. From the reports I've received, at the very beginning of this apocalypse, he lost the single most precious person in his life. That devastating loss has been fueling him, driving him to push his limits constantly in the name of revenge."
The 3rd King leaned forward slightly, his tone calm but laced with concern. "My Lord, if he continues growing at this pace, won't he eventually become a serious threat to us?"
The Lord answered without the slightest hesitation. "No. Do you truly believe that the apocalypse I personally created can be overturned by a power that I myself designed and granted? He may grow strong, but he will never surpass the one who wrote the rules of this game."
The 3rd King bowed his head immediately in respect. "Forgive me, my Lord, for asking such a question in your presence. We trust you completely. No one can ever defeat you."
The Lord continued smoothly. "Anyway, let us return to the main point. We will follow the plan exactly as intended. Nitsuki and his group have grown stronger, yes — but the real entertainment will begin the moment he is forced to watch his closest companions die right before his eyes. I want to see the expression on his face when that happens. In just a few days, we will unleash everything we have prepared. At every Exclusive Stone location across the world, we will release high-level Soul Reapers — beings far more powerful than the ordinary ones they have faced until now. Let's see how well they handle true despair."
Suddenly, a piercing red alarm blared throughout the entire mansion, cutting the Lord off. The massive monitor flickered to life on its own, displaying a live feed from Earth. Everyone watched as Nitsuki's Verse Slayer sliced the Exclusive Stone cleanly in two. Golden energy erupted violently outward in chaotic, spiraling waves.
A subtle ripple of surprise passed through the four kings.
The 1st King spoke first, his deep voice filled with genuine admiration. "This Nitsuki… he is really clever."
Even the Lord's childlike voice carried a rare note of excitement. "I did not expect this at all. Nitsuki was never supposed to be this smart."
The camera angle on the monitor suddenly shifted and zoomed in, focusing entirely on Takashi's stunned face.
The Lord's tone turned deeply intrigued. "Takashi… so this was your plan all along. I knew you were intelligent, but I never imagined you would make such an advanced move so early. Very interesting. Now, let's see exactly how you plan to handle this unexpected new situation."
The monitor stayed locked on Takashi's shocked expression as the golden energy from the destroyed Exclusive Stone continued to rage wildly through the ruined jungle.