The journey had changed.
Not in direction—
but in feeling.
The space around them had grown heavier with every step they took forward, as if the universe itself was slowly tightening its grip around them. The stars were fewer here, dim and dying, flickering like the last breaths of a fading flame. Even the silence no longer felt empty—it felt… watchful.
Vicky walked at the front, his gaze fixed ahead, calm yet focused.
"…We're close."
His voice was quiet, but everyone heard it.
Aerito immediately stiffened.
"…You can feel it too…?"
Vicky gave a small nod.
"…Yes."
Arna moved closer to him, her mirrors rotating slightly faster, reacting to the strange disturbance around them.
"…Master… something about this place feels wrong."
Luka exhaled slowly.
"…Not wrong."
"…Dangerous."
Kael cracked his neck, trying to shake off the growing tension.
"…Good. I was starting to miss the action."
Eren glanced at him with a faint frown.
"…Don't say that too early."
Arelia said nothing, but the faint distortion around her body had intensified. Time itself seemed unstable near her, reacting to something unseen.
And then—
it happened.
Without warning, the sky above them split apart.
A massive crack tore through space, spreading like a wound across reality itself. From within that fracture, darkness poured out… and with it—
figures.
Hundreds.
Then thousands.
Their descent was silent, yet their presence alone shook the very structure of space around them.
Kael's grin slowly disappeared.
"…Yeah… these definitely aren't normal."
Luka's eyes narrowed sharply.
"…No. They're not."
Aerito stepped forward, his expression turning completely serious now.
"…Master…"
"…These are not ordinary enemies."
The figures landed all around them, surrounding the group completely. There was no escape path left—only an endless army standing in every direction.
Their forms were humanoid, but distorted by immense power. Some had broken halos hovering behind their heads. Some held weapons forged from void energy. Others flickered like unstable illusions, appearing and disappearing in fragments.
Every single one of them radiated strength.
Every single one of them—
was focused on Vicky.
Aerito clenched his fist.
"…I was hoping we wouldn't meet them this soon."
Vicky stood still.
"…Who are they?"
Aerito answered without hesitation.
"…Subordinates."
A brief pause.
"…Of the Ten Broken Gods."
The air itself felt heavier.
Kael blinked in disbelief.
"…The hell kind of name is that…?"
Luka muttered quietly.
"…A bad one."
Arna's expression sharpened.
"…Explain."
Aerito didn't look away from the enemies.
"…They serve beings that should not exist in this form. Each of those gods represents something broken in reality itself."
"…And these…"
"…are their soldiers."
Vicky's eyes sharpened slightly.
"…And how strong are they?"
Aerito gave a bitter smile.
"…Strong enough to kill most worlds."
Kael looked around at the thousands surrounding them.
"…And we're surrounded by them. Great."
One of the figures stepped forward. Its face was hidden behind a cracked mask, and its voice sounded distorted, like multiple voices overlapping.
"…Target confirmed."
"…Origin detected."
Instantly—
every single one of them reacted.
Their focus locked onto Vicky.
Luka exhaled sharply.
"…Yeah. Definitely here for you."
Arna stepped in front of Vicky without hesitation.
"…Then they'll have to go through us first."
The masked figure slowly raised its hand.
"…Eliminate."
And in the next second—
everything exploded into chaos.
Thousands of enemies surged forward at once, tearing through space like a tidal wave of destruction.
"Move!" Luka shouted.
He vanished instantly, reappearing at the front as his dual spears materialized in his hands.
"Phantom Spiral Break!"
He spun forward, his spears slicing through the first wave—
but this time—
they didn't fall so easily.
Some were cut apart—
yet their bodies reformed.
Others endured the attack entirely.
Luka clicked his tongue.
"…These guys are different."
Kael charged in next, his flail glowing with power.
"Then let's break them properly!"
He slammed his weapon into one of them—
BOOM!
The impact sent shockwaves through the battlefield, but the enemy only staggered slightly before counterattacking.
Kael barely blocked and was forced back.
"…Okay… now that's annoying."
Above them, Eren took position and released multiple arrows in rapid succession. Each one hit perfectly, striking vital points—
but the enemies kept moving.
"…They're not going down."
Arelia stepped forward, her voice calm.
"…Then we overwhelm them."
Time bent around her as multiple enemies froze in place. She erased several instantly—
but more filled the gaps just as quickly.
Endless.
Relentless.
Arna summoned her mirror.
"…Come closer."
Dozens rushed toward her and vanished into the mirror, trapped forever—
but still—
more kept coming.
Aerito unleashed massive waves of crimson flames, burning entire sections of the battlefield. Explosions echoed, light clashing against darkness—
yet his expression remained tense.
"…This isn't working…"
The enemies began to adapt.
Their movements became sharper.
Their coordination improved.
They were learning.
Mid-battle.
Luka blocked another attack, barely holding his ground.
"…They're evolving while fighting?!"
Kael got hit again and slid backward.
"…Yeah—this is getting out of hand!"
Arna's mirrors spun rapidly.
"…Master—!"
Vicky finally moved.
He stepped forward calmly.
"…They won't stop."
Aerito nodded grimly.
"…They can't."
"…Because this is their purpose."
The enemies surged again, stronger than before.
Closer.
Faster.
More precise.
Vicky closed his eyes for a moment—
then opened them.
A faint glow appeared.
The mark on his forehead slowly formed.
The battlefield changed.
Everything felt… heavier.
As if something invisible had taken control.
The voice echoed—
cold and absolute.
"High-threat anomaly detected."
"Subordinates of broken entities confirmed."
"Judgment authority increasing."
Aerito's eyes widened.
"…Master… wait…"
But it was too late.
Vicky stepped forward.
The mark on his forehead burned brighter than before.
Space itself began to crack around him.
For the first time—
the enemies hesitated.
They felt it.
Fear.
Vicky raised his hand slowly.
"…You shouldn't have come."
The Rule of Code responded instantly.
"Preparing Law…"
Everything froze.
The battlefield.
The enemies.
Even the air itself.
All waiting—
for the judgment to fall.
To be continued....