The oppressive cavern trembled as if the earth itself feared what was about to unfold. Loose stones rattled from the ceiling, dust fell in thin streams, and the faint glow of the Code Crystal inside the cube lit the vast underground with an eerie, pulsating light.
Waren and Hakari rushed at each other.
The sound of their boots scraping the ground echoed like a war drum. The very air between them grew heavy, charged with the collision of two wills.
Their fists collided—
BOOM!
A shockwave thundered outward, rolling through the cavern like a storm unleashed. The ground cracked beneath them, The walls groaned, dust scattering into the dim light.
"What the hell…" Weller muttered, his voice trembling as his knees bent under the vibration. He gritted his teeth, trying to steady himself. "I can feel myself shaking from their clash alone!"
Hakari staggered backward, his breathing ragged. Sweat streamed down his temple, soaking into his collar. His fists clenched, but his body wavered.
Across from him, Waren's lips curled into a slow, cruel smile. His presence swelled, pressing down on everyone like a mountain.
"Code Six," Waren intoned, his voice low, resonant, and dripping with venom. "Command—Aetherin Seal."
The moment the words left his mouth, the cavern seemed to dim. The faint crystal glow flickered as a vile energy spread like an invisible plague. It slithered through the air, unseen but suffocating, carrying with it a stench of corruption.
Hakari narrowed his eyes, readying himself—but he didn't sense it in time.
The energy struck him.
His muscles locked. His chest tightened as though chains wrapped around his lungs. He stumbled forward, forcing his body to move, to attack, but suddenly—
"AAAHHHHH!"
A scream tore from him, echoing through the cavern. His chest convulsed violently. His head spun, vision fracturing into blurred fragments. His eyes widened, veins crawling red across them. Blood surged to his throat and spilled from his lips.
Hakari collapsed, his hands clawing at the stone floor as he gasped for air. His body shook uncontrollably, as if his very soul was being torn apart.
"Hakari!" Kage's desperate cry rang out as he sprinted forward, eyes blazing with panic.
But before he could reach his brother, Waren's laughter slashed through the chaos. His sneer stretched into a grotesque grin as he raised his hand. From the air itself, shimmering waves of power hardened into a wall—an invisible force, yet faintly outlined by the crystalline light.
It pulsed with an alien rhythm, cold and unyielding. It was not just a wall—it was a declaration that none would pass.
"No." Waren's tone cut like a blade. His voice carried the weight of finality, sharp and merciless. "You will not move from there. You will stand, and you will watch as I tear your friend apart and kill him in front of you."
The words echoed like a curse, bouncing through the cavern.
Kage froze in horror, then his knees buckled. His voice cracked. "NO! Please! I'll do anything, Waren! Anything! Just don't kill him, I beg you!"
Waren's smile widened, twisting with sadistic joy. His laughter rumbled, cruel and mocking. "Keep begging. The son of the great fallen king Yamazaki… begging for mercy." His eyes gleamed, savoring every moment. "How delightful."
Kage's blood ran cold. His eyes widened, his breathing shallow. "H-how do you know who I am?"
Waren tilted his head, his sneer deepening. His voice dripped with disdain. "You don't know anything, Kage Yamazaki. You're nothing but a pawn in a game far larger than you can comprehend."
"Kill me instead!" Kage's voice broke into a scream, desperation tearing his throat raw. "Kill me, not him!"
But Waren shook his head slowly, mockingly, his eyes never leaving Hakari's trembling form. "No. I can't touch you. If I did, the Divine Ones themselves would destroy me instantly." His words carried conviction, like an immutable law. "So you'll just stand there… helpless… and say your goodbyes."
His hand lifted, glowing with a murderous brilliance. Power condensed at his fingertips, sharp and absolute.
"I'll count to five."
Kage dropped lower, his forehead nearly touching the ground as tears of fury welled in his eyes. "Please… please! Anything! Whatever you want, just don't—"
"Your time is over." Waren's voice was a death knell as he lunged, his body moving faster than lightning itself.
"Vanish!"
The word ripped from Kage like fire.
Light exploded.
For a moment, silence ruled. Then a wet, tearing sound echoed.
Waren staggered, eyes bulging in disbelief. His body swayed. His gaze lowered to his side—
His left arm was gone.
Blood sprayed against the cavern floor.
"So… you truly are the son of Yamazaki." Waren's expression twisted. First shock, then wild laughter as blood dripped from his shoulder. His voice rose into hysterics, filling the cavern.
Kage stared, trembling, unable to process what he had just done. His fists burned as if seared by fire. "Wh-what… how did I…?" His words broke apart in confusion.
But there was no time to think. He snapped himself back to reality, clenching his fists until his knuckles cracked.
"Command—Vanish!"
He struck at the wall.
Nothing. The wall stood untouched, rippling slightly before glowing again.
"It won't work." Weller's voice was hoarse, his body swaying as he forced himself upright. His lips trembled, but he spoke through pain. "For a second, you might damage Waren. Maybe even kill him. But the cave itself—it's indestructible. And since the wall is part of it, it is too. As long as the Code Crystal remains inside, it regenerates instantly. Destroy it, and it rebuilds in milliseconds."
Kage's teeth clenched so hard his jaw ached. Rage burned in his eyes, but helplessness weighed on his shoulders.
The cavern fell into tense silence, broken only by Hakari's faint groans and the crackle of energy humming through the crystalline walls.
Then, from the shadows, Nicolas stepped forward. His eyes were as cold as winter steel. His movements were deliberate, every step resonating against the stone with quiet certainty.
"Hey, kids. Step aside."
Kage whipped his head around, fury blazing. "What are you saying?! This isn't the time!" His voice cracked between anger and despair.
Nicolas didn't flinch. His hand shot out, seizing Kage by the collar. With terrifying strength, he lifted him aside as if he weighed nothing.
"When I say something, don't fucking question me." His voice was cold enough to freeze blood. His eyes glowed faintly, shadowed by a terrifying calm.
Then Nicolas raised his hand. Power welled in his veins, spiraling outward like a storm breaking its chains.
"Code Animal. Command One—Chaos."
The indestructible wall—the same wall Kage's fists couldn't even scratch—shattered.
The sound split the air like glass breaking, shards of energy scattering into nothingness. The cavern quaked with the force of it.
Everyone froze.
Even Waren, still dripping blood from his missing arm, turned with wide eyes. "…You. I've seen you before."
"You have." Nicolas's voice was flat, emotionless, like stone grinding against stone.
Kage, still trembling, shouted, "But what can you do? Even Hakari fell. You were shaking too—I saw it!"
Nicolas glanced at him, his gaze sharp and cutting. "Yes. I was shaking. I was sweating. I was shocked. All true." His lips curved faintly, not into a smile but into a promise of violence. "But none of that was fear."
Kage's breath hitched. "Then what—"
"It was excitement."
Before anyone could blink, Nicolas vanished. He reappeared in front of Waren, his fist driving into his gut with brutal precision.
The sound of impact cracked through the cavern.
Waren coughed violently, spittle mixed with blood flying from his mouth. He forced a twisted grin, his voice hoarse. "Hah! You punch like a woman."
But his smirk froze.
Blood poured from his lips. His knees buckled, his body folding under the strike.
Nicolas's hand latched onto his back, dragging him across the cavern floor. His face tore against jagged stones, flesh shredding as Nicolas's blows rained down like an unending storm. Teeth cracked, blood splattered, and Waren's eyes darkened.
Still, Waren writhed, his body twitching. "You're strong… Nicolas, was it? But I can heal. Instantly. You know this!"
"I know," Nicolas replied coldly, his breath steady.
Energy surged through Waren, flesh knitting together. His arm reformed, his jaw snapped back into place. His body mended with unnatural speed.
"Stop him! Nicolas, stop him or he—"
"Or what?" Nicolas's words cut Kage down mid-sentence. His eyes glowed like frozen fire. "What will he do? I don't fight weaklings."
"YOU—!" Waren roared, his pride in tatters, fury overflowing. Rage drove his fist forward.
It struck Nicolas's face—solid.
"Hah! I hit you!" Waren spat, triumph flaring.
But the image flickered.
An afterimage.
"What—"
Nicolas was already behind him. Another flicker. Another. Left. Right. Forward. Everywhere.
Every strike Waren threw landed on nothing but shadows. His movements grew frantic, panic clawing at him as Nicolas's presence vanished and reappeared at will.
Then—BAM!
Nicolas seized him by the skull, slamming him into the ground. His face scraped along ground as he dragged him mercilessly, blood streaking across the cavern floor.
The sound of flesh grinding against the ground echoed with sickening clarity.
Waren's screams turned into ragged gasps, until suddenly—memory struck him. His body froze mid-scream, his voice trembling with realization.
"I… remember you."
Nicolas hurled him aside with effortless contempt.
Waren staggered, trembling, his arrogance gone. His eyes widened, his lips pale. "You… you are the son of Akuma." His voice broke into a whisper of terror. "The devil raised from hell…"
Nicolas stood unmoving, his hands clasped calmly behind his back. His eyes were cold, merciless, infinite.
"You were the one…" Waren's voice quivered, his body shaking uncontrollably. "The one who stopped me before. You came here once already…"
"Yes." Nicolas's voice was low, final, dripping with deadly intent. "I am Nicolas Campo. Son of Lucas Campo. I came here once before and failed to complete my mission." His eyes glowed, sharp as daggers. "But this time—I came to finish you."