White rushed toward Neon.
The floor beneath his feet cracked.
Energy exploded outward from his body as electricity wrapped around his arm in violent currents. The air pressure inside the chamber shifted instantly.
The wind stopped.
For one unnatural moment — everything became still.
Then thunder answered.
White's fist accelerated toward Neon's face, growing heavier with every inch, lightning spiralling around it like a forming storm.
Closer.
Closer —
BOOM.
A massive shockwave erupted across the chamber. Dark clouds gathered above the open ceiling as thunder roared through the sky. Several leaders stepped back instinctively while soldiers outside raised their weapons.
Moon's eyes widened.
"White!"
No response.
Smoke swallowed the centre of the hall.
Then the clouds dispersed. The smoke split apart.
And everyone saw it.
Red War — standing between them. One hand holding White's fist completely still. Barehanded.
The lightning surrounding White's arm crackled violently against Red's grip, yet his expression remained unchanged.
White's eyes widened for only a second.
Then rage overtook him again. With his free arm, he charged another strike toward Neon.
But before the attack could land — Red moved.
Fast.
One precise strike to the side of White's neck.
White's body instantly lost strength. The lightning vanished. He collapsed unconscious onto the ground.
Silence filled the chamber.
Moon immediately rushed to his side.
"White!"
She knelt beside him, lifting his head gently. Red War looked down at her, calm as stone.
"Don't worry," he said. "He'll wake up soon."
Moon nodded quietly and began carrying White toward the resting area near the chamber wall.
As she passed — Neon looked directly at her. His lips curved into something lazy and deliberate.
"Well," he said. "Interesting." A pause. "You survived."
His eyes narrowed faintly. "But not forever."
Moon stopped walking.
For one dangerous moment, killing intent flashed through her eyes. The temperature around her dropped slightly.
But she said nothing. Without looking back, she continued walking with White.
Red War turned toward Neon, his voice colder than before.
"Neon."
The chamber quieted instantly.
"If you create another situation like this —" A pause. "I will personally kill you."
Neon smiled. Relaxed. Mocking.
"Alright. Alright." He raised both hands casually. "So aggressive." His eyes drifted across the chamber until they landed on an empty seat. "Oh. There's space over there."
Red's gaze sharpened.
Neon smirked slightly. "Yes, yes. I'm going."
"Go," Red replied.
Neon walked to the far side of the circular hall and sat down alone, leaning back as if none of it had ever mattered.
The Anchor's voice returned.
"Now arriving — the Chief of C-Beta… Adolf D. Beta. And alongside him — the Resource Head of the Tri-County Alliance, Recogniser of C-Gama, C-D.Petro, and C-D.Gold… Mister Incount Rawn."
Several figures entered together.
Moon watched them carefully before turning to Kirai Flow.
"Sir… why do three countries share one leader?"
Kirai answered without hesitation.
"Because C-D.Petro and C-D.Gold are resource nations. They possess enormous natural wealth — but almost no educational infrastructure. Their literacy rate remains below per cent."
Moon's expression shifted.
"So years ago," Kirai continued, "a treaty was formed. Those nations provide resources and partial administrative authority to C-Gama. In exchange, C-Gama sends them scholars, doctors, engineers, military support, and agricultural specialists." He folded his hands. "It is less a government. More of a survival agreement."
Moon nodded slowly. "I understand."
She glanced toward the entrance once more. "I think one country is still missing."
"Yes," Kirai replied. "C-D.Coal. They don't recognize the outside world. They don't come to these gatherings."
Then the Anchor's voice rose louder than before — carrying a weight it hadn't held until now.
"Ladies and gentlemen gathered here in the name of peace…"
"Please rise."
The atmosphere changed instantly.
"The Wisdomer of the Century is arriving."
Every leader in the chamber stood. Ev—evenn.
Only White remained still near the wall.
Then — something shifted.
White's body slowly rose to its feet.
Moon blinked. "White?"
She noticed the eyes.
"…Light?"
Light nodded once. "White is still unconscious. I'll stand in his place."
Moon relcentrelightly. "Thank you."
She looked toward the entrance. "Who exactly is the Wisdomer of the Century?"
For the first time since arriving, Light's expression became fully serious.
"That title is not given lightly," he said quietly. "To become a Wisdomer, a person must abandon everything connected to themselves. Their past. Their identity. Even their own name."
Moon stayed silent.
"The man arriving today is believed to be over one hundred and thirty years old," Light continued. "And according to ancient records — he is the last living person who read every page of the Shinjitsu Book."
Moon's eyes widened. "The entire book?"
"Yes." Light looked toward the entrance. "And besides the world chiefs… he may be the only person alive who still knows where it is hidden."
Silence spread slowly across the chamber.
Moon whispered, "…Now I understand why they call him wise."
The Wisdomer of the Century entered.
When he finally stood at the center of the chamber and looked across the gathered leaders, the room felt different — heavier, older, as if history itself had walked in with him.
He spoke without ceremony.
"Thank you all for gathering here in the name of peace. I know why you came. The C-Beta incident has reached every corner of this world."
Adolf D. Beta rose from his seat.
"Sir — the boy is something we have never encountered before. He demonstrated abilities we feared were only theoretical. Thermal cameras detected temperatures dropping far below zero emanating from around his head. Our scholars calculated he may be wielding Air Soul Power. And whenever he activates it — a shadow flows from his body. Something dark. Something that doesn't match any recorded soul signature."
The chamber fell silent as the implications sank in for everyone.
The Wisdomer closed his eyes. Then, slowly, he lowered himself back into his seat.
When he spoke again, his voice was calm — but carried the weight of someone recounting something they had never wanted to remember.
"Long ago — far longer ago than most of you can imagine — something emerged from the shadows. It was not like us. It was not like anything that had ever existed." He paused. "That thing challenged the First God — the one who created all things, the one who exists above all. Even the First God did not wish to fight, because a battle between them would have destroyed everything he had spent eternity building."
The chamber was absolutely silent.
"So instead — the First God created something new. A counterbalance. He called it Lightness. And that first thing, the one born from shadow — became known as the King of Shadows. Darkness."
He folded his hands on the table.
"After creating Lightness, the First God entered a sleep — one that has lasted approximately four billion years. Some ancient myths say Lightness alone can defeat Darkness. What is known is that their names — Hike's names — echo something close to the First God's own nature. Waking and sleeping. A creation and a destruction."
Hecentrehat sit for a moment.
"Before sleeping, the First God made one final act. He gave his living creations power — so that they could protect themselves in his absence. This became what we call Soul Power, and it was divided into five elements: Water. Air. Fire. Earth. Thunder."
"The first person in recorded history to master all five was the greatest individual to ever walk this Earth — Akira Zui, the author of the Shinjitsu Book. He documented everything. He wrote that these powers can only be awakened within specific bloodlines — special clans. Among them, names like Delta, Phi, and Beta appear. In total, user clans represent less than one percent of the world's population."
The chamber remained still long after he finished speaking.
In the silence that followed, White's presence quietly returned behind his own eyes. Light stepped back. White blinked once, oriented himself, and looked toward the old man still seated at the center of the room.
Then he spoke inward, to Light.
"You're ancient. That means you're…"
Light's response was unhurried. "Approximately five hundred billion years old."
White processed that slowly. "That means you're fifty billion years older than Earth itself."
"Give or take."
A pause.
"Light — I need to ask you something."
"Go ahead."
"Do you know where Leaf is?"
Light was quiet for a moment. "I've been trying to find him. But darkness is blocking my path. Every direction I search — he's there first."
White's expression tightened. "Then we have to reach Leaf before anyone else does."
On the other side of the world, deep inside a forest with no name on any map —
Leaf sat beneath a wide tree, his back against the bark, eyes half-closed.
Python was beside him, pulling at the worn fabric of his sleeve with visible disdain.
"Leaf."
"What?"
"How long are we staying here?"
Leaf glanced upward through the canopy. "I don't know. I asked Darkness." He raised his voice slightly. "Hey, Darkness — did you hear me?"
No answer.
Leaf looked over. Darkness was asleep against a root, breathing slowly, completely unbothered.
"Hey. Old guy."
Darkness opened one eye.
"I am your mentor," he said flatly, "and I have told you repeatedly not to call me that."
"Okay, okay. Don't get upset." Leaf held up a hand. "I just want to know how long we're staying here."
Darkness considered this for a moment. "I don't know exactly."
Python groaned. "Leaf. Tell him about the clothes. Our clothes are embarrassing."
"Yeah." Leaf looked at Darkness. "We need new clothes."
"Don't worry," Darkness said, already closing his eyes again. "You'll have them soon."
Leaf frowned. "From where, exactly?"
"From above."
Leaf stared at him. "From the sky?"
"How did you know?" Darkness asked, sounding genuinely curious.
"I didn't — I was being sarcastic."
"Wait and see."
Ten minutes passed. Nothing.
Twenty minutes. Still nothing.
Python looked at Leaf sideways. "Do we get new clothes after the world ends, or…?"
Then — two wooden boxes dropped from the sky.
Python moved fast, catching both before they hit the ground. Each box had a name carved into the lid. The first read Python. The second read Leaf.
Python opened immediately.
Inside: a green t-shirt, black pants, running shoes, a white hoodie, and a pair of gloves.
Leaf looked at his own box, then back at Darkness.
"Where did you even get these?"
"From someone," Darkness said simply. "Why does it matter?"
"Because," Leaf said, holding up the hoodie, "it is the middle of summer. Who gives someone a hoodie in summer?"
"Our next destination is very cold," Darkness replied, without opening his eyes. "Open yours."
Leaf exhaled and opened his box.
Inside: a black shirt, a white undershirt, matching shoes, gloves, and a black hoodie.
After they had both changed, Darkness switched places with Leaf briefly — and when he spoke again, his voice carried a quiet finality.
"Tomorrow, we take our first step toward the destination. Rest tonight. You'll need it."
Neither of them argued.
The sun descended slowly behind the trees. The forest darkened. And somewhere above the canopy, the moon rose — steady and silent — casting pale light across the ground where the three of them waited for what morning would bring.