AKIHIRO ATLAS
A person didn't really need to be alone to feel lonely.
Sometimes the heaviest loneliness came while sitting among dozens of people.
And at that moment, sitting around that huge meeting table, I felt exactly that. Because until a few seconds ago, the thoughts crashing into each other in my mind were only creating fear, but now something else has been added on top of that fear. Silence. The silence of the people. The silence of the generals. In fact, no one even needed to say anything directly accusatory. Sometimes people could leave you on the edge of a cliff just by remaining silent.
Kazami.
Kuren.
Those two names still echoed in my mind. No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn't fit them in the same sentence as those words. Rebellion. Theft. Betrayal. These words didn't feel right for their faces. Because one thought they knew some people. You thought that the people you walked on the same battlefields, sat at the same dinner table, carried the same team crest, at least knew which lines not to cross.
But right now...
The silence of the people around the table right now made me think of a terrible possibility.
What if something really did happen?
What if everything fell apart here while I was trying to save people on Earth for three years?
And the most painful part...
It was because I wasn't there.
Because although Sao's words were full of hatred, there was a part of them that resonated with me involuntarily. My team was falling apart. People were disappearing. Jared had collapsed. Mizu was silent. And now Kazami and Kuren's names were at the center of a betrayal.
Where was I?
I was on Earth.
I was trying to be a hero.
I was trying to save people.
But I couldn't protect my own home.
And at that very moment...
My master had spoken.
"Could you explain the evidence that Kuren and Kazami did such a thing?" After explaining it, did you investigate why he did it? If so, what do you have, Grand General?"
Master Shu's voice was as calm as always.
It wasn't loud.
It wasn't harsh.
But there was a strange heaviness in that calm. Because my master never talked unnecessarily. And when he spoke, everyone in the room felt compelled to listen to his sentence.
As soon as he spoke, I felt the atmosphere in the room change slightly.
And to be honest…
Something inside me felt like it was about to break.
Because until that moment, I had truly felt alone.
I couldn't defend myself.
I couldn't speak.
My mind was so filled with thoughts that I didn't even know which sentence to form. Since the moment I heard Kazami's name, it was as if a disconnect had occurred between my body and my mind. My heart was constantly racing, but my thoughts were getting confused. As a general, I had to speak. I had to defend my team members. I had to stay rational.
But I couldn't.
And realizing this…
It hurt me much more than I thought it would.
Because at that moment, my master had spoken on my behalf.
He asked the question that I should have asked.
He did what I was supposed to do.
A strange warmth in my chest occurred. It was a strange feeling pain relief mixed with each other. Because a part of me was incredibly happy that he was there. Since my childhood, whenever I fell, it was always him who held my hand. Every time I got lost, he was the person who pointed in my direction again. Even now... while I was mentally falling apart, my master was calmly standing up and defending me.
And this thought...
It involuntarily brought a small smile to my face.
It was really very light.
But it had formed.
I turned my head slightly and looked at him.
My master was sitting calmly as always. Her long white dress was falling down the sides of the chair, and she was looking at Yayati with the same expression on her face. I've known him for years. People couldn't understand anything from Shu's face, but I could notice small details. How slightly his fingers contracted. How carefully your eyes are looking. When you remain silent, is it because you're truly calm or because you're thinking?
And right now…
He was thinking.
Maybe he was angry.
Maybe he was worried.
But he wasn't showing it.
I waited for a few seconds for him to look at me.
I thought maybe we could make eye contact.
Maybe he would look at me with one of his usual calm gazes, as if to say, "Calm down." I thought.
But my master…
He didn't look at me at all.
He really didn't look at all.
His gaze was directly on Yayati.
And even this tiny detail created a strange feeling inside me.
My smile faded very slightly.
Because it wasn't normal for my master to ignore me.
Shu was usually someone who quietly noticed people's feelings. Especially mine. Since my childhood, he could tell even the slightest change in my face. But now… it was as if he was deliberately avoiding looking at me.
This thought caused a subtle uneasiness within me.
And then another feeling came over me.
Shame.
Because suddenly I felt like I was looking at myself from the outside.
I was the general of Team 2.
I was one of the people sitting at this table.
Kazami and Kuren were members of my team.
I was the one who had to defend them.
But right now...
My master was taking on my duties.
As for me, I was just sitting there trying to breathe.
This thought weighed heavily on my chest.
Because I've admired Shu since I was a child. I wanted to be like him. I wanted to be someone who protects people, makes the right decisions, and remains calm.
But now I felt small compared to him.
I was feeling incomplete.
It was as if all the fighting, rescuing people, and surviving death over the course of three years had made no difference.
Because when it came to my own home...
I was still falling apart.
And perhaps that was what scared me the most.
After remaining silent for a few seconds, Major General Yayati let out a heavy sigh. The lines on his old face looked deeper under the pale white lights filtering down from the meeting room ceiling. It seemed as if what he was going to tell was not just a report; it was more like he was preparing to remove the scab from a wound that had been closed for years. Everyone around the table could feel it. Because until a little while ago, there was only the pressure created by the word "betrayal" in the room, but now we knew that the truth behind that word would be revealed. And those facts felt like they would change not only the two team members, but also Cistern himself.
And I still couldn't get my thoughts together. The names of Kazami and Kuren kept going back and forth in my mind. One remembered certain people in certain ways; when I thought of Kuren, I first thought of his stern gaze, his obsession with discipline, and the anger he showed when the team's order was disrupted. ""When I think about Kazami, his constantly smiling face, his relaxed manner that can mock even seriousness, and his strange energy that involuntarily calms people even in the most tense moments... the more I tried to think of these two people in the same place with words like 'murderer' or 'traitor', the more my mind became scattered.""The more I tried to think of these two people in the same place with words like 'murderer' or 'traitor'. Because this feeling, like I was listening to it was not only a lie; rather, as became people you thought you knew it was an uncomfortable feeling in the face of others at a time.
When Yayati finally started speaking, everyone in the room paid a little more attention. "About three months ago," he said in his deep and clear voice, "Kuren Y and Kazami Korane underwent standard health checks after returning from a joint mission." At that moment, even small movements in the hall had become noticeable. Austra's huge hands stretched slightly on the edge of the table. Ryugu carefully raised his head. Hiroshi's eyes narrowed. As for me, I involuntarily leaned forward slightly because even the mention of Kuren's name in such a sentence gave me a bad feeling.
"The first anomaly," Yayati continued, "was detected in the energy flows of Kuren Y's Spirit Power." After tapping the tip of his cane lightly on the ground, he closed his eyes for a few seconds. "At first, it was thought to be merely post-task fatigue. However, as detailed investigations progressed, it became clear that the anomalies were linked to the Leviathan War approximately two and a half years earlier."
The Leviathan War.
Even this single word was enough to make the atmosphere in the room heavy. I hadn't seen that war; I was on my World mission at the time and I was a long way from Cistern. But the echoes of the war had reached even me. Even while on Earth, I could sense the magnitude of the event from the tone of the reports coming from Cistern. It was reported that the city's towers were damaged, thousands of people died, and the generals could not leave the battlefield for days. When I returned, I saw that people changed their expressions when talking about that war. Leviathans had not only been a physical threat; It also left a lasting fear in people's minds. And now Yayati was saying that the thing in Kuren's body was connected to that battle.
"As a result of detailed investigations," Yayati said, "it was determined that there was a sealed entity within Kuren Y's body."The silence in the hall fell even more heavily this time. "A monster spirit. An unknown creature left over from the Leviathan war."
The inside of my chest tightened uneasily at that moment. My mind involuntarily began to think about some of Kuren's behavior in the past. When he disappeared for a long time, sometimes he became pointlessly quiet, he looked extremely tired after some tasks... But I didn't want to reconcile all this with such a fact. Because the fact that a person carried a sealed monster in his body... it was not only scary, but also made it easier to predict how Cistern would treat that person.
And indeed, Yayati's subsequent words confirmed exactly this.
"Cistern management," he said in a colder tone, "has made the decision to take Kuren Y under control due to the potential risk."
Don't take control.
This sentence left an uncomfortable echo within me. Because I knew how Cistern used the word "control". This did not mean protection. It meant isolation. It meant observation. It would mean that people would no longer be seen as individuals but as potential threats.
At that moment, my eyes involuntarily drifted to Shu.
And I noticed the tiny change on my master's face.
Shu was still silent, but his gaze was different now. More attentive. More solemn. It was as if they were trying to pick out the missing pieces from what had been said. As someone who had known him for years, I could understand what this meant; Shu wasn't easily suspicious. If they were listening this carefully now, there must have been something hidden in what was being said.But my mind was very distracted.
Because Yayati was still talking.
"Our plan," he said, "was to remove the sealed entity from Kuren Y's body in a controlled manner and then destroy it."
Destroy.
As soon as this word fell into the hall, a sharp uneasiness formed inside me. Because Kuren was not mentioned as a person in that sentence. It was described more like a container with a problematic energy inside. Shu's eyes narrowed a little more at that moment. And for the first time, I felt that my master did not believe all of what was being told.
But then Yayati continued.
"Kazami Korane," he said, his voice getting harder, "found a way to infiltrate the security systems during this process." His eyes got heavy. "And three months ago… Kazami Korane released Kuren Y from custody."
The atmosphere in the room became even more tense.
"During the escape, security forces were killed. And throughout the incident, many executives lost their lives."
With this sentence, my mind truly began to wander. Because now it wasn't just about "running away" being mentioned. There was talk of human deaths. Of the names of executives. Of the high-ranking people inside Cistern.
Kazami.
Kuren.
Kill.
No.
No, it couldn't have gone this far.
The thoughts inside me began to collide with each other. Part of me was looking at Shu's face, trying to understand why she was being so careful. Because my master's silence was constantly making me feel that something was missing. But the other side of me felt only fear now. Because if what was said was true... my team wasn't just falling apart. It was literally collapsing.
And at that moment, without thinking, I stood up.
My chair slid back hard. The sound echoed throughout the room.
"That's nonsense!" my voice was already raised when I realized what I was saying. My chest was going up and down fast because I couldn't control my thoughts anymore. "Kazami doesn't behave like that! Kuren de- there are missing parts in these things you are describing!"
Several generals turned to me. Vartin had frowned. Ryugu looked confused. Shu was still silent, but his eyes shifted to me for the first time.
"It can't be that simple!" I continued. "Kazami is not someone who will kill people for no reason!"
Just at that moment, a harsh voice rose from the other end of the table.
"Enough."
My gaze instantly turned to Austra. The huge man was looking at me, and that look was heavy enough to physically hold a person in place. Despite being unarmored, it still looked like a battlefield on foot."You are in the meeting room." he said with a harsh and contemptuous tone. "Learn to control your emotions, General Akihiro Atlas."
My jaw stiffened, but Austra continued. "Here, one doesn't speak by shouting like a child; one speaks with evidence. If you can't act like a general, at least learn to keep quiet." This sentence hit me hard in the chest. Because being right hurt me even more.
Austra finally spoke one last time with suppressed anger. "Sit down."
And after standing for a few seconds, with all my thoughts jumbled together, I slowly sat back down in my chair. But my mind was completely scattered now. My eyes were really shaking, I was angry and sad. I was hurt, my heart was aching. When I slowly sat down on my chair and lifted my head again…
My master had locked his eyes on General Austra. "Austra, you and Akihiro are of the same rank. Remember that, okay?"
My master's voice was hoarse when he said this, but on the contrary, it was quite harsh. The truly remarkable point, however, was that my master addressed Austra without using the role of "General". Even if he called me Akihiro in daily life, he should have called me "General" here too.
Everyone in the room turned directly to my master, momentarily making even the Grand General forgotten.
It was as if my master, at this point... was on top of everyone. It is like an abstract outer self, a being above everyone else. It was possible to get caught up in these feelings from his voice.
General Austra glanced at my Master out of the corner of her eye and then narrowed her eyes. A tense stare exchanged between them for a few seconds. Afterwards, when Austra returned to the Grand General, this situation came to an end... For now.
The atmosphere inside the meeting room was no longer merely tense; it carried the scent of a decaying order. Most of the generals around the table had noticed this, but none of them were brave enough to voice it. Because the moment Shu Prryhi started talking, the balance of the room changed. The people who were questioned just now were Kazami and Kuren. Now, without realizing it, what was being questioned had begun to be Cistern itself. And the person who did this wasn't shouting, wasn't threatening, wasn't getting angry. On the contrary... the calmer he became, the more restless everyone in the room became. Even me.
I had known my master for years. I knew how he thought, how he spoke, how he silently cornered people. But even so, watching him right now was giving me a strange chill. Because Shu wasn't just asking questions anymore. He was dismantling people's ways of thinking. And while doing this, the calm expression on his face never changed for a single moment.
"In the story you are telling," my master said slowly, "there are too many missing parts, Great General."
Shu Prryhi's voice was neither defiant nor condescending. On the contrary, he was so calm that the impact of his words in the hall was felt much more strongly than his voice itself. It was as if Shu wasn't making an accusation, but merely lifting the veil over a truth that was right before everyone's eyes.
Yayati's eyebrows furrowed slightly.Shu saw this. But he didn't react.
Only a faint expression appeared on his face; an almost imperceptible little curl at the corner of his lips. This wasn't sarcasm. Rather, it was more like they seemed to know in advance the reaction the other person would have. Because in Shu's eyes, even Yayati's anger did not belong to him. He bore the image of his own office, his own title, and the authority granted to him by the Cistern.
People often reacted not to the person in front of them, but to the figure they had created in their own minds.
When they saw a general, they saw authority.
When they see a ruler, it is a will that must be obeyed.
And sometimes, when someone stood before them questioning their authority, they would act as if they were facing an enemy.Shu knew this.
That's why he didn't raise his voice.
Yayati tapped his cane lightly on the ground.
The full voice echoed in the silence of the hall.
"You are questioning Cistern's decisions, Shu Prryhi."
This time Yayati's voice was harsher.
It was as if a threat was hidden at the end of his sentence.
It was as if, with the cane being struck on the ground, everyone in the room had to remember who had the final say.
Shu, on the other hand, only looked at Yayati.
He looked for a long time.
He neither bowed his head nor hurried to respond.
There was no fear in his gaze.
But there was no arrogance either.
There was something more disturbing.
Understanding.
Shu could see what was behind Yayati's anger. How quickly a person transforms into the god image they have created for themselves when they have to defend their own authority...
Finally, Shu narrowed her eyes slightly.
"No," she said calmly.
She fell into a brief silence.
"I'm just noticing how frighteningly superficial Cistern's decision-making is."
When the sentence fell on the living room, Austra's jaw stiffened. Sao exhaled as if grumbling.
Hiroshi lifted his head carefully. Vartin, on the other hand, fell completely silent for the first time.
Shu still had the same calm expression on his face.
Because he wasn't trying to prove the weight of what he was saying. That was the real issue.
Unless Shu tried to justify himself, those around him became more defensive towards him.
The hardness on Yayati's face was the clearest indication of this.Shu spoke once more.
"The fact that a decision has been made by Cistern," he said, slowly moving his gaze around everyone in the hall, "does not make it right."
Then he looked at Yayati again.
"And the high position of a post does not mean that the person occupying that position is infallible."
Yayati's fingers tightened on his cane.
Shu noticed this too.
But he did not smile again.
Because what Shu wanted to do wasn't to humiliate Yayati.
It was something simpler and more dangerous.
It was to show him how he saw himself.
"The greatest mistake people make," said Shu, "is worshipping the images of authority they create as if they were real."
The atmosphere in the room became heavy.
"We declare a person a Great General. Then we believe his decisions cannot be questioned. We consider an institution sacred. Then we count everything he does right. In the end, we think that the authority is thinking for us, not for our own opinion."
Shu's voice was still calm.
But each word penetrated deeper than the previous one. "Thus, we cease to see the person before us."
A brief pause. "Instead, we begin to talk to the god we have created in our minds."
Shu's eyes fixed on Yayati's eyes."I am speaking to you, Grand General.A moment of silence.
"Not with your title. Not with your cane. Not at all with the authority Cistern left behind."
A very faint, almost sad expression appeared on Shu's face. "Only with you."
And at that moment, Yayati's anger truly took on meaning for the first time.
Because Shu Prryhi had not challenged his authority.He had not allowed him to hide behind his authority.
"If what I say is wrong, refute them."
He tilted his head slightly to the side.
"But if you're going to claim they're true just because Cistern said so..."
He fell silent for a moment. "...Then it means we are defending belief, not decisions, here."
"You are discovering an unknown entity within a child's body." He tapped his fingers together slowly on the table. "And your first reflex is to isolate him. Then you plan to forcefully remove something from his body. " He tilted his head slightly to the side. "Interesting. "
Yayati's voice hardened. "It was a security protocol."
"No," Shu said instantly. "That was the fear."
The room suddenly became silent.It really did become silent.
Because what Master Shu said was not merely a protest. He was attacking the way of thinking that formed the foundation of Cistern.
"Cistern's oldest problem," Shu said in a calm but increasingly heavy voice, "has always been the same. You're not trying to understand people. You're categorizing people." His eyes scanned around the table. "Threat. Weapon. Risk. Beneficial. Harmful." A tiny smile formed on the edge of his lips. "What an efficient system."
That smile…
It was making one feel uneasy.Because Master Shu had truly begun to have fun. That was the look on his face.
"A child," he said again, "may not even know what he is carrying in his body. He may have experienced trauma. He might be scared. He might need help." His eyes slowly turned to Yayati. "But what did you do?" There was a brief silence. "You have chained him up."
"Be careful with your choice of words." Sao said sternly.
Shu looked at him for the first time.
And that look...
It even gave me goosebumps.Because there was no human warmth left in my master's eyes. There was only a cold intelligence.
"Word choice?" he said lightly. "Very good. Then let's speak more accurately." Their hands interlocked. "What was the size of the area where Kuren Y was held? Did she have daily communication rights? Was she put to sleep?" Were energy suppression seals used? Was physical intervention applied? Was a mental scan performed?" He bowed his head slightly. "Or are we not going to talk about any of this?"
Nobody answered.
And there was that silence...
That silence made everything seem even more terrible.Because Shu was right.
There were gaps in the story being told.Huge gaps.
Yayati finally spoke, trying to appear more controlled. "The presence Kuren Y was carrying was at a level that would threaten the lives of thousands of people. We didn't want to take the risk.
A tiny glimmer of darkness flickered in Shu's eyes.
"Risk." He repeated the word very slowly. "Cistern does the same thing whenever he gets scared. " His eyes grew heavy. "First, it declares people a 'risk.' Then, it strips them of their humanity."
This sentence pierced the room like a knife.
Because no one could directly oppose this.
Shu continued.
"Do you know what?" he said calmly, "There was something my master told me once." At that moment, the faces of several generals involuntarily changed. The person he meant by my master was Magnus... I think everyone here knew that. Because Magnus' name still evoked a reflex in people. "He said that when a society begins to legitimize its fears under the name of justice, it no longer produces order, but only organized paranoia."
Austra immediately grumbled. "Don't use Magnus' ideas as examples here."
Shu replied without looking at him.
"But how interesting..." he said slowly, "Cistern has been using his methods for years."
At that moment, the atmosphere in the room truly changed.Because Shu was now openly attacking.
And he was doing it so calmly that it became harder to object. "A child may be carrying a burden they don't want in their body," he said. "And instead of investigating why it's like this, you shut it down." Then you declare 'traitor' when his best friend tries to save him." He tilted his head slightly to the side. "I'm really curious… who was the first to betray here?"
This question…
It was like poison left inside the room.
I involuntarily held my breath.
Because Shu was no longer just defending.
He was changing people's way of thinking.
And the moment I realized this, I understood once again why everyone was afraid of him.
Because my master is not on the battlefield…
The human mind was at war within itself.
This time, Yayati truly hardened. "This is your last chance to watch your words, Shu Prryhi."
But the expression on Shu's face did not change.
On the contrary, in fact…
It looked like they were waiting to hear this.
"I am quite careful, Grand General," he said in a low voice. "The real problem... may be that you haven't really paid attention to anything for years."
The silence at the table was no longer normal.
Not a single person was even moving.Because everyone felt the same thing. Shu Prryhi…
Gradually, he was taking control of the entire meeting. There were those who were inclined to stand in front of him, but they did not want to make themselves a target either. There are generals more dangerous than my master. I'm sure of that, but even they wouldn't dare talk this much in a meeting setting.
The only person capable of doing this was one who could stand up to those above him.
The atmosphere inside the meeting room was no longer merely tense; it was on the verge of breaking down. Since Shu started talking, the balance in the room had been disrupted, and everyone could feel it. Because people generally thought that arguments got out of control when voices got raised. However, the truly dangerous arguments were those that went silent. Stop yelling at people and think... it was the most frightening moment for the layout. And right now this was happening. Shu Prryhi was not only defending Kuren and Kazami, he was ripping out the entire way of thinking that was built into Cistern's foundation and leaving it on the table. What was worse was that he was doing it so calmly that it was becoming increasingly difficult to object.
While I was sitting in my chair, I could even feel my breathing becoming heavier. Because I had seen my master silence people many times before, but this was different. This time, he wasn't just using his intelligence; he was leaving people to their own consciences. And while doing this, the calmness on his face made everyone in the room even more uneasy. That dark thought pattern growing larger in Shu's eyes... it involuntarily reminded me of Magnus. This was the first time I could understand so clearly why people always say, "It's obvious he was Magnus' student." Because my master Shu wasn't just using words when he spoke. He was pitting people's belief systems against each other.
And at that very moment...
Sao spoke.
"We have listened long enough."
The moment his voice spread through the hall, the atmosphere changed again. Because even Sao Imoria's speech created reflexes in people. There was an unnatural oppression in that man's presence. Even though he was sitting at the other end of the table, one could feel the weight of his gaze. It was not for nothing that he was a former student of the Great General Yayati. His pride, his intelligence and his arrogance... they all hit you in the face. His sharp eyes, visible through his long black hair, were fixed directly on Shu, and there was clear disdain in that gaze.
I never liked Sao.
Because when he spoke, people felt the need to defend themselves.
He was acting as if he viewed everyone in front of him as inherently inferior.
And that was exactly the expression on his face right now.
"You forget the difference between questioning Cistern and openly insulting him, Shu Prryhi," he said in a slow but sharp voice. "This meeting is being held to discuss the crimes committed by two fugitives. However, you are deliberately turning the topic into a discussion about the system."
Shu's face remained unchanged.
But I noticed my master had begun to show slight interest.
Sao continued.
"A Leviathan-linked entity has been found in Kuren Y's body." Their hands are joined on the table. "This alone is a potentially catastrophic threat. It makes sense for Cistern to take control of him." His eyes narrowed slightly. "And what was Kazami Korane's response?" A contemptuous curl formed on his lips. "To kill the top managers and break the system."
Silence.
Sao's voice became a little harsher.
"Stop trying to romanticize this. A person who kills a person to save his friend is still a murderer."
This sentence…
He sat down heavily in the room.
Because to be honest...
It made sense.
And feeling this made me feel even worse.
Sao continued.
"The cistern is not perfect." This was the first time he had admitted it. "But what you call order is not based on perfection. It is based on control." His eyes are locked on Shu. "The problem with people like you is... you like to talk about freedom without experiencing the consequences of chaos."
Austra nodded slightly.
Yayati remained silent.
And me…
For the first time, I understood why Sao was considered one of Cistern's most dangerous generals.
Because the man wasn't just arrogant.
He was really smart.
And Shu understood this too.
My master leaned back slightly and showed a very small smile.
But that smile…
It wasn't comforting.
On the contrary.
"Control." Shu said slowly. "What an interesting word."
Sao's eyes narrowed.
Shu continued.
"That's Cistern's favorite word for centuries." He tilted his head slightly to the side. "Control to protect people. Control to maintain order. Control to preserve power." A tiny smile formed at the corner of his lips. "And strangely enough, despite all this, it still continues to rot."
Austra exhaled hard.
But Shu wasn't stopping anymore.
"Our defense networks are in tatters," he said calmly. "The border areas have not been adequately protected for many years. During the Leviathan war, the city nearly collapsed." His eyes grew heavy. "But despite that, what did Cistern do?"
There was a brief silence.
Then…
"It continued to transfer more energy to the Nirvana system."
This word changed the atmosphere in the room.
Even I involuntarily tensed up.
Nirvana... that frightening center where it is believed that the Cistern is not just an energy system or a sacred structure... is what I have heard countless stories about since childhood, but despite this, I have never really understood. The entire layout of Cistern, the territorial distribution of the twelve teams, the defense networks, the barrier systems, the energy flows, and even the connection of the Sacred Domains to each other had been taking shape through Nirvana for centuries. It wasn't right in the city center... it was somewhere above the concept of center. It was as if it were not a physically accessible layer but a second reality superimposed on Cistern's reality. It was called the "Sacred Domain Core". And even when people were saying this word, they were involuntarily lowering their voices. Because Nirvana was not merely a source of power; it was the reason for Cistern's continued existence. It was believed that if Nirvana collapsed, the protection networks surrounding the Cistern's borders would disintegrate, the layers of the Sacred Domain would separate from each other, and the entire order would collapse within a few days. But what was even more frightening was... what was inside Nirvana. Or rather, who was inside it. Team 0. That forgotten team, completely isolated from other teams, whose very existence people aren't even entirely sure of. And it was said that only one person from Team 0 was inside Nirvana. A single person. A being that no one has ever seen, whose name no one knows, and whose existence no one is truly sure of. Even I, despite being a general for years, had no information about him. Neither Mizu had talked about it, nor Aiga, nor Shu... even Vartin had suddenly fallen silent one day when Nirvana was mentioned while drunk. It was as if everyone was unconsciously carrying the same fear. Because according to rumors, Nirvana not only kept the Cistern afloat, but also collected the Spirit Power generated in the city. All the energy arising from people's wars, fears, hopes, deaths, and lives... had been flowing into Nirvana for centuries. And that power... was being added to the existence of the Second Founder. People called it "balance". The sacred system left by the founders to protect Cistern. But what Shu had just said had stuck in my mind. If the power arising from people's lives is constantly channeled into a single center... was this truly protection? Or was it just another form of exploitation that had been normalized under the guise of sacredness for centuries?
Shu's voice became even calmer at this point.
"Cistern's defense network is incomplete." He tapped his fingers lightly on the table. "The number of soldiers is insufficient. People are still not properly protected in the lower regions." One by one his eyes passed over those on the table. "But you are still transferring resources to Nirvana."
Sao responded instantly.
"Cistern can't survive without Nirvana."
Shu bowed his head slightly.
"Really?" he said calmly. "Then let's ask an interesting question. " A dark glint appeared in his eyes. "Feeding a founder with power taken from people… isn't that theft?"
The room went cold.
Really.
Not a single person even moved.
Because Shu had just directly targeted the founder of Cistern. At this point, even I got bored. Because it was my master who also told me that I had to protect Cistern no matter what.
And he said it so calmly that it became even harder to respond.
"You're calling a child a traitor just because he saved his friend," Shu said slowly. "But when your founders have been connecting people's life energy to themselves under the name of Nirvana for hundreds of years and using you for their own salvation, you call it order."
Sao's face hardened for the first time.
"You've crossed the line enough. The only thing that can be said to you on this point is-"
Shu's eyes turned to him. Without letting him finish his sentence, she started speaking directly to him.
"No." he said very calmly. "I'm just saying how rotten the lines you've been drawing for years have become. "
And at that very moment...
A laugh was heard.
Strangely relaxed.
Strangely indifferent.
I involuntarily turned my head.
It was Ryugu.
Team 8 General.
I still didn't know him very well, but the man who had been silent until now suddenly began smiling, sprawled out on his chair. He pushed his long black hair back with his hand and spoke in an incredibly relaxed tone.
"Wow," he said. "I was just expecting a boring crime meeting. Here, it's literally a critique of civilization going on."
Nobody answered.
But Ryugu didn't seem to care about this.
"By the way," he said, looking at Shu slightly, "this is the first time I've watched you live, General Shu." He smiled. "What they said about you was true. I really wondered how one manages to exert psychological pressure even while speaking."
Sao grumbled.
Ryugu continued.
"But to be honest…" He tilted his head to the side. "Wasn't calling the founders thieves a bit too bold?" He smiled. "It was fun, though."
Shu looked at him for the first time.
And at that moment, I understood why Ryugu felt strange.
The man didn't look serious.
But his eyes…
Their eyes were not at all comfortable.
He was looking at people as if he were constantly testing them.
Ryugu shrugged slightly.
"I'm not taking sides, by the way," he said sarcastically. "I find you all individually problematic."
Vartin laughed involuntarily.
Austra got angry.
Sao closed his eyes.
And me…
I was just watching what was happening.
Because the meeting was now getting out of control.
But the scariest thing was…
It was that Shu seemed to be enjoying it.
As Ryugu's loose, careless, and sarcastic demeanor echoed throughout the hall, what was growing inside me was no longer just anger. The weight of my silence until that moment, the fact that my master was constantly talking for me, what I heard about Kazami and Kuren, that vague feeling of accusation I saw in everyone's eyes... all piled up on top of each other in my mind. And how I try to stay calm, that accumulates, the pressure inside of me was wearing now. Because I was the general of this team. The people of that team were under my responsibility. Both Kuren's and Kazami's. And while their names are now being mentioned alongside the word "traitor" in front of the entire Cistern, the person defending them was not me... it was my master. This thought was growing like a heavy stone inside my chest. For the first time, I truly felt incomplete. Insufficient. Weak. And perhaps the worst part... it's unnecessary.
Ryugu, sprawled out on his chair, continued to smile slightly while turning his eyes toward me. There was a strange comfort in that man's gaze. He seemed like someone who liked to provoke people. It was as if he was probing the atmosphere to see when everyone would explode. And I… did exactly what he wanted.
"This is not a matter to be taken lightly," I said suddenly.
When my voice echoed through the room, several people turned to look at me. Even Shu's eyes had shifted slightly, but his expression remained unchanged. Ryugu merely raised his eyebrow.
"Hmm?" he said, as if he were having fun. "I'm not underestimating you, General Aki. It's just interesting to watch when everyone in the room starts eating each other alive."
I clenched my teeth.
"You don't understand," I said in a harsher voice. "Kuren and Kazami are not such people."
Ryugu tilted his head slightly to the side. "What an impressive defense."
That sarcastic tone…
It made my anger grow even more.
"I know them," I said quickly. "Kazami wouldn't kill anyone for no reason. Kuren too... that..." My sentence was left unfinished. Because nothing was progressing smoothly in my mind. "They might have had to do it."
Sao immediately let out a disdainful breath through his nose.
Ryugu, however, was still smiling.
"So this is your defense?"" said. "Is it sometimes understandable to kill a person?"
"No!" I said, involuntarily raising my voice. "That's not what I mean!"
But that was the problem.
Even I didn't know what I meant.
Because my mind was in a complete mess.
Part of me wanted to trust Kuren and Kazami. The other part couldn't stop wondering why everyone in the room was so quiet. And in the midst of all this, the more I tried to form coherent sentences, the deeper I sank.
Ryugu leaned forward slightly.
"Well, General Aki," he said calmly, "then will you explain it to us." His eyes locked on me. "If a group of senior executives were found dead... how else can there be an explanation for this incident?"
I couldn't answer.
I really couldn't bring myself to do it.
Because I didn't know.
And the moment I realized this, a terrible pressure formed inside my chest.
Ryugu continued.
"Look, I'm not trying to declare a criminal here." He shrugged. "But what you are saying sounds completely emotional." There was a little smile at the edge of her lips. "I would have expected a general to speak a little more sensibly, frankly."
This sentence...
It weighed heavily on me.
I tried to speak again.
"I just…" My breathing became irregular. "I'm saying Kuren might have been forced to do something like this. If Cistern really—"
"Really what?" Sao said in a sharp voice.
His gaze fixed on me.
"Are you going to say Cistern is guilty now?" A scornful smile formed on his lips. "As a general who couldn't even control his own team?"
My chest tightened.
And at that moment I realized.
I was losing.
Because what I said had no weight.
I was speaking without thinking.
The more I tried to defend myself, the more vulnerabilities I exposed.
All of Shu's careful scrutiny, all of that clever network of questioning he had built... began to crumble with every sentence that came out of my mouth.
And my master had noticed this.
My eyes involuntarily drifted to him.
Maybe it would help.
Just in case they say something.
Maybe to see if he would support me.
But Shu only looked at me.
For a long few seconds.
And then…
For the first time, the expression on his face changed slightly.
This was a disappointment.
"Akihiro," he said in a calm but icy voice, "if you can't control your emotions, you shouldn't speak."
At that moment...
It was as if someone had stabbed something right into the center of my chest.
The room fell silent.
But I could only hear my master's voice.
Shu continued.
"In an argument, being right alone is not enough." His eyes got heavy. "You also need to think about how the person in front of you will refute you." He tapped his fingers lightly on the table. "What you're doing right now isn't defending. It's making the other side's job easier."
I felt like I couldn't breathe.
Because I realized it at that moment.
My master was right.
I really made everything worse.
And this realization…
Broke something inside me.
I had grown up near Shu since I was a child. I grew up with his teachings. I learned to think, to fight, to protect people, to make decisions... all of it from him. And now, when you looked at me in front of all the generals, what I saw in your eyes wasn't support... it was disappointment.
The moment this thought took hold in my mind, all the balance within me began to disintegrate.
What was I doing?
What was I really doing?
I couldn't protect Kuren and Kazami.
I couldn't defend my team.
I was even destroying the defense set up by my own master.
And what was worse…
Amidst all this, I was still calling myself "general."
At that moment, I felt everyone in the room was looking at me. Sao's disdainful eyes. Austra's stern gaze. Ryugu's expression still looking like he's having fun. Vartin's quietened state. I didn't even want to think about what Mizu's face would look like if she were here.
Because it was the first time...
I really felt like a failure.
And this feeling was much heavier than I thought.
The thing that was slowly growing inside my chest was no longer just fear. I was ashamed of myself. All the thoughts inside me were getting mixed up. I kept telling myself, "I am their general," but that phrase now echoed in my ears like an empty title. Because a general had to be able to protect his people. He had to be able to defend them. He had to stand firmly by their side. But right now, I felt like a child who had lost control of themselves. And the scariest part was… everyone could see it.
When Shu looked at me for the last time, I looked away.
Because if I look into her eyes...
I was really scared I was going to fall apart.
END OF CHAPTER