197. Monster Knight (IV)

It was a lucky thing that they'd evacuated so thoroughly. Hundreds of miles. One target.

You could see the eruption from space. It looked like a flower blooming stark blue-white. Colors you'd only see in the fiercest, most violent of thunderstorms. Spreading slowly over the face of the Earth.

Only half a flower. Blooming in a crescent. The other end hit a hard wall. Some tremendous soul was guiding its path, curving it away—shielding everyone on the other side...

If Zane was honest, he did not have much left in him at that moment.

But Reina was right behind him. So he found it within him. And that power kept blooming, to a kind of power that would reduce cities to fine-grained dust, then countries—he roared straining. Giving himself. And restraining himself.

He just kept finding the will to do it. He was stubborn like that.

Where the explosion was allowed to flow free, it flowed unchecked. Exploding in a vast chain, over and over, shining lines scarring the face of the planet. With such force it flattened mountain ranges, caved in entire plateaus.

Thousands of years on when villages would make their lives here on their lakeside stilt-houses, fishing in these vast blue expanses they called the Heavenly Lakes—once, to another, lost civilization, the Himalayas—they would never know those vast reservoirs were craters.

And those craters were the work of one man.

When it was all done, when it all settled—when the vast gaping gulfs in the world closed up, those trenches in reality sewing together—there was a silence.

The silence of absolute nothing. Not even drifting smoke.

Everything that moved was ash. Even the wind had been charred out of existence. No clouds dared show their faces. Blue sky. Black Earth. On and on and on...

It looked like something out of a surrealist painting. Nothing that ought to exist in real life.

It was peaceful—the peacefulness of the aftermath, of destruction, of death in its purest form.

Zane frowned.

𝕎𝕒𝕣𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘!

𝕐𝕠𝕦 𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕕𝕠𝕟𝕖 𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕤𝕚𝕕𝕖𝕣𝕒𝕓𝕝𝕖 𝕕𝕒𝕞𝕒𝕘𝕖 𝕥𝕠 𝔼-𝔾𝕣𝕒𝕕𝕖 ℙ𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕖𝕥: 𝔼𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕙. ℙ𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕖𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕪 𝕕𝕖𝕤𝕥𝕣𝕦𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕚𝕤 𝕤𝕥𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕥𝕝𝕪 𝕒𝕘𝕒𝕚𝕟𝕤𝕥 𝕦𝕟𝕚𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕒𝕝 𝕔𝕠𝕕𝕖.

Zane blinked. Hmm.

He was trying hard not to black out again. But it was the one battle he was okay with losing. Partly because he wasn't sure he could do anything about it.

He was just about to face-plant—halfway through dropping—when Reina caught him, hugging him, pulling him up, pouring in her healing, and instantly a warm light wave flowed over him. Soaked through him, like her soul had caught his too, and was helping bear his up. And he stayed there, upright, if swaying.

"Zane," she gasped. "That was incredible!"

Zane grunted. He was having trouble forming a complete thought right now. He wobbled. It felt like his head was stuffed with wet cotton balls.

The fight was over. That much was quite clear. He blinked at her flushed face. He couldn't focus on anything except what was in front of him, which was Reina's face right now. He was about to tell her he thought she had a very good face when she started talking again.

"Do you realize what you've done?"

He blinked at her. "You just saved mankind—you ended its greatest threat!"

Right—the fight.

Zane was happy with how it all turned out.

It was a good fight.

Just then—

𝕃𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕝 𝕦𝕡!

𝔼𝕤𝕤𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕖 𝕃𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕝 𝟚𝟘𝟙 -> 𝟚𝟘𝟚

𝕃𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕝 𝕦𝕡!

𝔼𝕤𝕤𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕖 𝕃𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕝 𝟚𝟘𝟚 -> 𝟚𝟘𝟛

𝕃𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕝 𝕦𝕡!

𝔼𝕤𝕤𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕖 𝕃𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕝 𝟚𝟘𝟛 -> 𝟚𝟘𝟜

𝕃𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕝 𝕦𝕡!

𝔼𝕤𝕤𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕖 𝕃𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕝 𝟚𝟘𝟜 -> 𝟚𝟘𝟝

Huh.

…That Minotaur did have a lot of essence. So it made sense. He couldn't remember the last time he got four Levels in a row.

He could stay upright a whole lot better now. His body was totally rejuvenated. It was his soul that was the problem.

It took a little before he regained his senses.

***

"He did it," whispered Cristina Dos Santos.

"Woah…" gasped the Sky Painter.

"Mad bastard," said the Spitfire Monk. He shook his head in disbelief and took a swig of wine. Wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

Eze was silent. Just staring at the distant flower. He nodded. Closed his eyes, deep in thought. "What power," he said softly. That was all.

Vanessa Volkova had woken up too. The moment she did, she'd tried to fight—anyone and everyone, including her own soldiers—until she realized the fight had left her behind. Zane was finishing it up on the far plains. The whole time she'd watched the projection, her face a cold blank mask, as Zane went to war.

She started cracking a little as Zane showed more and more of his power—as he started crushing that awful Monster Knight. Her face started flickering with a kind of joy, then hate, all at once. A tension went out of her—she almost cried.

Once the dust settled, though, she sat there silent. Watching the projection. Thinking. She was still staring long after Zane left.

There was a hint of yearning in her eyes. It wasn't a silly crush, the way she'd once looked at him. It was something different.

She wasn't thinking of him anymore as the handsome stranger she'd met all those months ago in the Abyssal Crater dungeon. She wasn't that girl anymore either. That all felt like a lifetime ago to her.

She saw what had happened to her mother. She saw what Zane had shown her…

"Miss Volkova?" asked Alexey. The Deputy Faction Head.

She stood. "Take me back to Headquarters," she commanded crisply. Her eyes flashed with a cold bright determination. "I've got training to do."

***

Every one of those top World Rankers looked at first in awe. And then—slowly—their feelings began to change.

Some took a little longer. It happened after they returned home. But they all came to the same emotion.

A sense of inspiration.

Zane had just shown just what mankind could accomplish.

These men and women were the peaks of human talent. The uncommon among the uncommon. They all had an ironclad determination. An incredible ambition. Each and every one. If they saw a bar raised, they would try to clear it as best as they possibly could. It was simply in their nature. That was what set the great ones apart.

In this way, all of humanity was pulled forward. Zane hadn't even meant to do it.

Later, when historians tried to make sense of what made this wave of humanity so special—what made them the cream of the crop even among Ur-Planets—they would cite Zane Walker. He was the star that lit the way. The one man the best of humanity looked up to—and chased.

And as these folk went back to their continents, burning with new drive, that drive would spread to those under them too…and new training systems, ideas, standards would bloom from there—it was that ripple effect that made Earth special.

It all started from the top.

***

Zane's fight with Asterion broke records all across the globe. It was the most viewed event of all time. Billions gathered, watching breathless, listening from hundreds of records across dozens of different languages, all covering the same single event. The fate of humanity itself was on the line. There were multiple reporter teams covering it just in America—though the most-watched had been with Zane since the beginning, the duo of the enthusiastic showman Tyler Saunders and the analytical if excitable color commentator Becca Dwyer. They were unusually tense in their coverage. They were both pulling for their guy. In that fight, everyone was rooting for him.

As a consequence, Zane's Last Wish was burned into the minds of everyone watching. Where it would last the rest of their lives. You could almost hear the relief washing over the world. The cheers, the cries. For some, the bursting out in tears. Rippling across the Americas, Europe, Africa, all of Asia, Oceania, the Pacific Islands, even those in little colonies on the poles, warming themselves in their sealskin cloaks, chewing on Spirit Salmon flesh, watching by the light of campfires jumped up and hugged each other.

It was a time for celebration. A shared feeling spread across all mankind…

***

Zane was oblivious to all of this of course. After he got out of his slobbering woozy state—during which he asked Reina multiple times if she knew she was really very pretty, which was, to be fair, his true feeling on the matter—his attention turned to the things the Minotaur had dropped.

𝕊𝕠𝕦𝕝 𝕎𝕖𝕒𝕡𝕠𝕟 ℂ𝕠𝕣𝕖 [𝕌𝕟𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕞𝕠𝕟 (𝔼)]

𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕊𝕠𝕦𝕝 𝕎𝕖𝕒𝕡𝕠𝕟 ℂ𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝔻𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕕 𝔼𝕩𝕖𝕔𝕦𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕖𝕣 𝔸𝕩𝕖.

𝔸𝕘𝕖: 𝟙𝟚 𝕞𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕖𝕟𝕟𝕚𝕒

𝕊𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕤 𝕔𝕝𝕒𝕚𝕞𝕖𝕕: 𝟟𝟛𝟡,𝟜𝟜𝟙 

He took hold of it. Weighed it in his hands. It occurred to him this core had been around reaping souls since before the recorded invention of agriculture. Which was kind of strange to think about. He felt within it the residue of countless souls. Humans. Drakes. Goblins, catkin, alligator-men, birds of prey…

He pocketed it. He would figure out what to do with it later.

The most important thing by far was the system notification that came with his victory.

𝕄𝕠𝕟𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕂𝕟𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥 𝕤𝕝𝕒𝕚𝕟! 𝔽𝕚𝕟𝕒𝕝 𝔾𝕒𝕥𝕖 𝔹𝕠𝕤𝕤 𝕊𝕝𝕒𝕚𝕟!

𝕋𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝔽𝕚𝕟𝕒𝕝 𝔾𝕒𝕥𝕖 𝔹𝕠𝕤𝕤 𝕨𝕒𝕤 𝕤𝕝𝕒𝕚𝕟 𝕡𝕣𝕚𝕠𝕣 𝕥𝕠 𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕊𝕦𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕕𝕦𝕟𝕘𝕖𝕠𝕟.

ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕖𝕟𝕘𝕖 𝔻𝕚𝕗𝕗𝕚𝕔𝕦𝕝𝕥𝕪: ℍ𝕖𝕝𝕝

ℂ𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕓𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕡𝕖𝕟𝕤𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟…

Huh.

ℝ𝕖𝕨𝕒𝕣𝕕𝕤:

𝟛 𝔻𝕣𝕠𝕡𝕤 𝕠𝕗 𝕋𝕚𝕥𝕒𝕟 ℝ𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕠 𝔹𝕝𝕠𝕠𝕕𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕖 [ℝ𝕒𝕣𝕖 (𝔼)]

𝟛 𝔻𝕣𝕠𝕡𝕤 𝕠𝕗 ℕ𝕪𝕞𝕡𝕙 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕎𝕠𝕣𝕝𝕕 𝕋𝕣𝕖𝕖 𝔹𝕝𝕠𝕠𝕕𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕖 + 𝔾𝕣𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕋𝕠𝕞𝕖 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖 ℕ𝕪𝕞𝕡𝕙 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕎𝕠𝕣𝕝𝕕 𝕋𝕣𝕖𝕖 [ℝ𝕒𝕣𝕖 (𝔼)]

𝟛 𝔻𝕣𝕠𝕡𝕤 𝕠𝕗 ℝ𝕒𝕚𝕛𝕦𝕦 𝔹𝕝𝕠𝕠𝕕𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕖 + 𝔾𝕣𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕋𝕠𝕞𝕖 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖 ℝ𝕒𝕚𝕛𝕦𝕦 [ℝ𝕒𝕣𝕖 (𝔼)]

𝟛 𝔻𝕣𝕠𝕡𝕤 𝕠𝕗 𝕎𝕙𝕚𝕥𝕖 𝔽𝕠𝕩 𝔹𝕝𝕠𝕠𝕕𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕖 + 𝔾𝕣𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕋𝕠𝕞𝕖 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕎𝕙𝕚𝕥𝕖 𝔽𝕠𝕩 [ℝ𝕒𝕣𝕖 (𝔼)]

This was quite something. A few vials hovered before him, all glowing their own auras—the Titan Rhino's Bloodline thick and turgid, the nymph's cool and light, the Raijuu's crackling, pinging off the walls of the vial, the White Fox's so wispy it seemed a light mist.

All of them were Godbeast Bloodlines, by the aura they gave off.

This seemed tailored to him , Reina said. Obviously there was the Titan Rhino. But once he looked at the individual vials he saw they were meant for his friends.

The Nymph of the World Tree, for instance, was a Wood-Essence Godbeast that greatly boosted Wood Law powers. And that got special buffs when it was near greenery. Greenery bloomed at its feet with every step. It was the caretaker beast of the World Tree—the very same one Reina's Bloodline came from.

The Raijuu seemed to be meant for Evan, and the White Fox for Avery. The System was being unusually considerate. Then again—it seemed appropriate given what it just threw at him.

After he finished gathering, another box popped up. Reina got it too.

***

𝔸𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝔼𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕙𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤

𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔽𝕚𝕣𝕤𝕥 𝔾𝕒𝕥𝕖 𝕙𝕒𝕤 𝕓𝕖𝕖𝕟 𝕠𝕡𝕖𝕟𝕖𝕕. 𝔸 𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕪 𝕞𝕦𝕤𝕥 𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟 𝟞𝟘 𝕕𝕒𝕪𝕤.

𝕊𝕙𝕠𝕣𝕥𝕝𝕪 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕗𝕥𝕖𝕣, 𝕖𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥 𝕠𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝔾𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕤 𝕨𝕚𝕝𝕝 𝕠𝕡𝕖𝕟 𝕒𝕔𝕣𝕠𝕤𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕤 𝕠𝕗 𝔼𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕙, 𝕞𝕒𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕖 𝔾𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕤 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕠𝕥𝕒𝕝. 𝔼𝕒𝕔𝕙 𝔾𝕒𝕥𝕖 𝕨𝕚𝕝𝕝 𝕒𝕕𝕞𝕚𝕥 𝕠𝕟𝕖 𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕪 𝕚𝕟𝕥𝕠 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕊𝕦𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕕𝕦𝕟𝕘𝕖𝕠𝕟. 𝕊𝕖𝕟𝕕 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕓𝕖𝕤𝕥 𝕥𝕠 𝕣𝕖𝕡𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕪𝕠𝕦. 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕗𝕒𝕥𝕖 𝕠𝕗 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕝𝕕 𝕚𝕤 𝕒𝕥 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕜𝕖.

𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕠𝕗𝕗𝕚𝕔𝕚𝕒𝕝 𝕟𝕒𝕞𝕖 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕊𝕦𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕕𝕦𝕟𝕘𝕖𝕠𝕟 𝕚𝕤 '𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔾𝕣𝕒𝕧𝕖𝕪𝕒𝕣𝕕 𝕠𝕗 𝕃𝕠𝕤𝕥 ℝ𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕞𝕤:' 𝔸 𝕡𝕣𝕚𝕤𝕠𝕟 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕌𝕟𝕚𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕖 𝕕𝕖𝕤𝕚𝕘𝕟𝕖𝕕 𝕥𝕠 𝕙𝕠𝕝𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕤𝕖 𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕞𝕤 𝕝𝕠𝕤𝕥 𝕥𝕠 𝕄𝕠𝕟𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕙𝕠𝕣𝕕𝕖𝕤.

𝕋𝕙𝕖𝕤𝕖 𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕞𝕤 𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕞𝕪𝕣𝕚𝕒𝕕, 𝕞𝕒𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕦𝕡 𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕤𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕤 𝕠𝕗 𝕗𝕝𝕠𝕠𝕣𝕤 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕠𝕥𝕒𝕝. 𝕋𝕙𝕖𝕪 𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕒𝕔𝕔𝕦𝕞𝕦𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕕 𝕤𝕚𝕟𝕔𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕕𝕒𝕨𝕟 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕊𝕪𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕞. 𝕋𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕚𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕤𝕥 𝕡𝕣𝕚𝕤𝕠𝕟 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕌𝕟𝕚𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕖. 𝔸𝕟𝕕 𝕚𝕥𝕤 𝕘𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕤𝕥.

𝔸𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕤𝕙𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕠𝕨𝕖𝕤𝕥 𝕗𝕝𝕠𝕠𝕣𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕪 𝕚𝕟𝕔𝕝𝕦𝕕𝕖 𝕝𝕠𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤 𝕤𝕦𝕔𝕙 𝕒𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕖 ℕ𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕞𝕒𝕣𝕖 ℝ𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕞 𝕠𝕣 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕄𝕚𝕣𝕒𝕘𝕖 𝕂𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕕𝕠𝕞. 𝔻𝕖𝕖𝕡𝕖𝕣 𝕚𝕟, 𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕞𝕤 𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕕𝕠𝕞𝕚𝕟𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕕 𝕓𝕪 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕝𝕒𝕚𝕣𝕤 𝕠𝕗 ℝ𝕒𝕟𝕜𝕖𝕕 𝕄𝕠𝕟𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕤 𝕤𝕦𝕔𝕙 𝕒𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕊𝕙𝕒𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕕 𝕊𝕜𝕪𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕞𝕤 𝕠𝕣 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝔻𝕣𝕒𝕘𝕠𝕟𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕤. 𝕊𝕠𝕞𝕖 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕕𝕖𝕖𝕡𝕖𝕤𝕥 𝕗𝕝𝕠𝕠𝕣𝕤 𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕠𝕔𝕔𝕦𝕡𝕚𝕖𝕕 𝕤𝕠𝕝𝕖𝕝𝕪 𝕓𝕪 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕔𝕠𝕣𝕡𝕤𝕖𝕤 𝕠𝕗 𝕄𝕠𝕟𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝔾𝕠𝕕𝕤.

𝕐𝕠𝕦 𝕟𝕖𝕖𝕕 𝕟𝕠𝕥 𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕣𝕪 𝕒𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕕𝕖𝕖𝕡𝕖𝕣 𝕗𝕝𝕠𝕠𝕣𝕤. 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕖𝕟𝕘𝕖 𝕙𝕒𝕤 𝕓𝕖𝕖𝕟 𝕤𝕖𝕥 𝕤𝕠 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕨𝕚𝕝𝕝 𝕟𝕠𝕥 𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕖 𝕔𝕝𝕠𝕤𝕖 𝕥𝕠 𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕞. 𝔼𝕧𝕖𝕟 𝔾𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕔 𝕡𝕠𝕨𝕖𝕣𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕤𝕖𝕤 𝕨𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕕 𝕤𝕥𝕣𝕦𝕘𝕘𝕝𝕖 𝕥𝕠 𝕤𝕦𝕣𝕧𝕚𝕧𝕖 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕪 𝕕𝕖𝕖𝕡𝕖𝕤𝕥 𝕗𝕝𝕠𝕠𝕣𝕤.

𝔼𝕒𝕔𝕙 𝕗𝕝𝕠𝕠𝕣 𝕚𝕤 𝕣𝕚𝕗𝕖 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕕𝕒𝕟𝕘𝕖𝕣𝕤. 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕕𝕖𝕖𝕡𝕖𝕣 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕗𝕝𝕠𝕠𝕣, 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝕕𝕒𝕟𝕘𝕖𝕣𝕠𝕦𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕪 𝕓𝕖𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕖. 𝕐𝕖𝕥 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕘𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕥 𝕣𝕚𝕤𝕜𝕤 𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕖 𝕘𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕥 𝕠𝕡𝕡𝕠𝕣𝕥𝕦𝕟𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕖𝕤. 𝕊𝕦𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕕𝕦𝕟𝕘𝕖𝕠𝕟 𝕥𝕖𝕤𝕥𝕤 𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕓𝕖𝕖𝕟 𝕨𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕥𝕣𝕦𝕝𝕪 𝕥𝕒𝕝𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕕 𝕞𝕒𝕜𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕚𝕣 𝕟𝕒𝕞𝕖𝕤. 𝕋𝕙𝕖𝕪 𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕟𝕠𝕥 𝕠𝕟𝕝𝕪 𝕣𝕚𝕗𝕖 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕝𝕠𝕤𝕥 𝕥𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕤𝕦𝕣𝕖—𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕪 𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕒𝕝𝕤𝕠 𝕔𝕝𝕠𝕤𝕖𝕝𝕪 𝕨𝕒𝕥𝕔𝕙𝕖𝕕 𝕓𝕪 𝕝𝕠𝕔𝕒𝕝 𝕘𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕔 𝔽𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤, 𝕥𝕠 𝕛𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕖𝕤𝕤 𝕠𝕗 𝕡𝕠𝕥𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕚𝕒𝕝 𝕣𝕖𝕔𝕣𝕦𝕚𝕥𝕤.

𝕋𝕠 𝕡𝕣𝕠𝕧𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕡𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕖𝕥'𝕤 𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕥𝕙 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕞𝕦𝕤𝕥 𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕥𝕙𝕣𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕝𝕕'𝕤 𝔾𝕒𝕥𝕖 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕖𝕩𝕚𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕣𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙 𝕒 𝔽𝕚𝕟𝕒𝕝 𝔾𝕒𝕥𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕣𝕖𝕖 𝕗𝕝𝕠𝕠𝕣𝕤 𝕝𝕠𝕨𝕖𝕣. 𝕐𝕠𝕦 𝕨𝕚𝕝𝕝 𝕓𝕖 𝕕𝕣𝕠𝕡𝕡𝕖𝕕 𝕒𝕥 𝕒 𝕗𝕝𝕠𝕠𝕣 𝕓𝕖𝕗𝕚𝕥𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕪.

𝕄𝕒𝕪 𝔽𝕒𝕥𝕖 𝕗𝕒𝕧𝕠𝕣 𝕪𝕠𝕦.

𝔸𝕚𝕨ë ℂ𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕥𝕠𝕣 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕊𝕪𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕞

***

Zane blinked at it.

He didn't know what to make of all of it so he looked at Reina, who was already chewing on it. He was sure she'd figure something out. A lot of it was already what she suspected anyway.

What trouble her most, though—

"That Minotaur said it'd been sent to execute you," she murmured, brow creased. "It seems like the Monsters have some kind of influence over their own prison? When you go through that Gate what'll be waiting for you on the other side?"

She shook her head. "Zane… I have a feeling they won't just drop us on any floor. They'll throw everything they can at you."

Zane was silent for a moment.

Then he shrugged.

"Let them come," he said simply. "I will be ready."