The battlefield had finally gone silent.
No more distorted footsteps.
No more collapsing space.
No more endless waves of enemies.
Only—
ruins.
Fragments of broken reality floated slowly in the void, drifting like dead stars. The remains of the subordinates had already begun dissolving into nothingness, their existence erased as if they had never truly belonged to this universe.
For a few moments—
no one spoke.
Kael was the first to break the silence.
"…So…"
He dropped his flail slightly, breathing heavily.
"…we actually survived that."
Eren exhaled slowly, lowering his bow.
"…Barely."
Arelia stood still, her expression calm, but the faint tremble in the air around her showed how much energy she had used.
"…It's over."
Luka stretched his shoulders.
"…Not bad. You three didn't die. That's already a win."
Kael smirked weakly.
"…That's your standard now?"
Aerito chuckled.
"…For now? Yes."
Arna walked forward and looked around the battlefield, her mirrors slowly rotating again.
"…It feels strange…"
"…Like something is missing."
Vicky stepped ahead, his gaze scanning the void.
"…Not missing."
"…Hidden."
Everyone turned toward him.
"…What do you mean?" Eren asked.
Vicky's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…We're close to him."
A pause.
"…Soverek."
The name alone—
felt heavy.
Kael straightened.
"…So this is it?"
Aerito shook his head slightly.
"…No."
"…This is just the beginning of it."
Vicky stepped forward.
"…We move."
And just like that—
their journey continued.
The path ahead was no longer clear.
There were no directions.
No landmarks.
No visible destination.
Only—
instinct.
The deeper they moved into the void, the more unstable everything became.
Space itself felt broken here.
Some areas stretched infinitely, while others compressed into nothingness. Gravity shifted unpredictably, sometimes pulling them down, sometimes pushing them sideways.
Time—
felt inconsistent.
Eren frowned slightly.
"…This place…"
"…It's not normal."
Arelia nodded.
"…Time is unstable here."
Kael looked around.
"…So basically… everything here is messed up."
Luka smirked.
"…Exactly."
Arna moved closer to Vicky again.
"…Master… how are you finding the way?"
Vicky didn't stop walking.
"…I'm not."
A pause.
"…He is."
Arna blinked.
"…He?"
Vicky placed his hand lightly on his chest.
"…The Rule of Code."
At that moment—
a faint voice echoed in his mind.
"Fragment resonance active."
"Target proximity increasing."
Vicky's eyes sharpened.
"…We're getting closer."
As they moved deeper—
the environment began changing.
Massive floating structures appeared.
Ruins.
Ancient.
Broken.
Some looked like shattered cities.
Some like fragments of forgotten worlds.
Some—
like pieces of something that should never exist.
Kael looked around in awe.
"…What even is this place…?"
Aerito answered quietly.
"…Remains."
"…Of things that shouldn't have been destroyed."
Eren's expression darkened.
"…You mean… entire worlds?"
Aerito nodded.
"…Yes."
Arna's mirrors slowed slightly.
"…So many…"
"…How many lives were lost here…?"
No one answered.
Because the answer—
was too big.
Despite the tension—
there were still moments of calm.
Arna suddenly moved closer to Vicky again, walking beside him.
"…Master…"
Vicky glanced at her.
"…What?"
She smiled softly.
"…You know… you looked really cool back there."
Vicky blinked slightly.
"…What?"
"…When you were about to use that judgment."
She tilted her head playfully.
"…Very scary… but also very cool."
Luka sighed.
"…Here we go again."
Aerito smirked.
"…Let her have her moment."
Vicky looked forward again.
"…Focus."
Arna pouted slightly.
"…You're no fun."
But she still stayed close to him.
Suddenly—
Vicky stopped.
Everyone noticed immediately.
"…What happened?" Kael asked.
Vicky didn't answer.
His eyes were fixed ahead.
"…There."
In the distance—
something appeared.
A massive structure.
It wasn't floating randomly like the others.
It was—
fixed.
Stable.
And around it—
chains.
Gigantic chains made of dark energy, stretching across space itself, binding the structure from all directions.
Arelia's eyes widened slightly.
"…That's not normal…"
Eren whispered.
"…What is that…?"
The closer they got—
the clearer it became.
It wasn't just a structure.
It was a prison.
A massive, ancient prison floating in the void.
And at its center—
something was sealed.
Vicky's voice became quieter.
"…We found it."
Aerito clenched his fist.
"…So this is where he's kept…"
Kael looked at the chains.
"…Who the hell needs this much to lock someone up…?"
Luka exhaled slowly.
"…Someone dangerous."
Arna's expression turned serious.
"…No…"
"…Not dangerous."
"…Terrifying."
They stopped at the edge of the prison.
The chains pulsed with energy.
The entire structure radiated power—
ancient—
and overwhelming.
Vicky stepped forward slowly.
As he got closer—
his heart began to beat faster.
Not out of fear—
but recognition.
A faint voice echoed deep within his mind.
"…Father…"
Vicky froze.
"…Soverek…"
The prison trembled slightly.
As if something inside—
had felt his presence.
The chains tightened.
The void shook.
Everyone stepped back instinctively.
Kael whispered.
"…Did you feel that…?"
Eren nodded slowly.
"…Yeah…"
"…Something inside is… awake."
Aerito looked at Vicky.
"…Master…"
"…He knows you're here."
Vicky took another step forward.
His eyes filled with determination.
"…Then we're not leaving."
The chains pulsed violently.
The prison trembled again.
And deep within—
something ancient—
something powerful—
something loyal—
was waiting.
They had finally reached—
Soverek's prison.
But what awaited them inside—
was still unknown.
To be continued…