But all of them feel it.
That sharp, suffocating presence.
Like a serpent, coiled in the unseen dark… finally slithering into the battlefield.
???: "You failed, Kael."
The voice was cold, commanding—its echo rippled straight through the hearts of everyone present.
The men that Hwang Cho had assigned to Loma froze instantly, their bodies trembling at the weight of that aura.
Man #1 (stammering): "H-Hey… that's a… a Pillar…"
Man #2 (trembling): "Y-Yeah… Renshido… Gabi Maru."
Man #3 (eyes wide in disbelief): "It's over… h-he's here…"
A figure emerged from the shadows, each step measured, silent, deadly. His presence wasn't loud—it was suffocating, as if the darkness itself bowed to him.
Gabi Maru: "You cause too much noise. But in the end, you're just… mere fry."
Every word was a blade, cold and merciless. The battlefield seemed to shrink under his gaze, the very air trembling like prey before a serpent ready to strike.
Man #4 (whispering, breaking): "L-Let's… run…"
One by one, the men broke ranks, fleeing like insects scattering from fire.
Loma's eyes widened, his body trembling—but not from fear. From resolve.
(thinking): What's happening…? I don't know… but if I don't take him down now… we lose everything. I won't save Xoza. I can't… I won't lose!
With a roar, Loma surged forward, throwing his full weight into a desperate hook aimed at Gabi Maru's jaw.
Gabi Maru tilted his head. A slip. A whisper of movement.
And then—
CRACK!
A single counter strike slammed into Loma's neck.
So fast.
So precise.
So devastating.
Loma's thoughts shattered as the darkness swallowed him.
(thinking, fading): No… not yet… Xoza…
His body hit the ground with a lifeless thud.
And then—
Silence.
The battlefield, once roaring with chaos, froze in dread. Even the wind seemed to halt, as though the world itself feared the serpent that had finally revealed its fangs.
Chapter 87 End