Chapter 25 – Those Who Observe
As Valen left the scene, the air remained heavy.
The sky, still scarred by the echo of the Sword of Judgment, seemed unsure whether to calm down… or split open once more.
Even the wind hesitated to blow, as if it feared awakening what had just gone back to sleep.
But elsewhere…
Far above the human planes — in a space where time itself had lost meaning — a silent council watched.
A circular chamber, bathed in light both golden and cold.
At its center floated a spherical artifact, streaked with arcs of energy.
Through its shimmering surface, Valen's silhouette could still be seen, walking among the ruins.
Around it, hooded figures with blurred faces exchanged quiet glances.
Then, one of them broke the silence.
> — "He said the name."
Another nodded slowly.
> — "Vael."
> — "An incarnation?"
> — "Perhaps… or worse. Perhaps the true one is beginning to stir."
A murmur rippled through the chamber — a vibration that seemed to shake the very fabric of reality.
One of the figures slammed a fist onto the table, making the runes on the floor tremble.
> — "It's far too soon. Too unstable. If he regains his memories, the balance will shatter."
Another voice, calm and almost resigned, replied:
> — "Then let us pray that Zarion fulfills his role."
Silence fell again.
At the back of the room, one of the observers raised their eyes toward the ceiling, where a single light flickered — shaped like a black star.
> — "And if Vael truly awakens… even prayer won't save us."
---
Hunters' Headquarters – Two Hours Later
Zarion was sprawled on a couch in the rest area, a can of soda in hand.
All around, screens replayed the images of the last portal.
Hunters whispered nervously among themselves.
Everyone wanted answers.
Everyone had seen that light.
And none could explain it.
Zarion stayed silent, his gaze fixed on the screen showing Valen surrounded by cosmic energy.
> — "That guy…" he muttered.
— "Is he human, or just pretending to be?"
Beside him, Kaya — an A-rank hunter known for her blunt honesty — crossed her arms, smirking.
> — "Maybe he's just really dramatic. Kinda like you."
Zarion turned toward her, feigning offense.
> — "Me? I'm discreet."
> — "Discreet? You wear a high-collared black coat, talk like a post-apocalypse survivor, and refuse to draw your sword."
> — "It's a style."
> — "No. It's cosplay."
A genuine laugh broke the tension in the room.
A few hunters lifted their heads, smiling faintly.
Their world might have come close to collapse, but they were still alive.
Still human.
Zarion took another sip, eyes drifting back to the screen.
> — "Yeah… dramatic or not… we'll have to keep an eye on that Valen."
Kaya sighed, her tone turning more serious.
> — "Do you think he knows? That something else lives inside him?"
> — "He knows," Zarion said after a pause.
— "But he pretends to forget. As if ignoring the monster was enough to keep it asleep."
Kaya didn't reply.
The screen flickered — a distortion caused by the lingering energy from the portal.
Zarion's reflection appeared in the glass.
For just a second, his eyes glimmered silver.
> — "Vael, huh…" he whispered.
— "So it's true."
---
Chapter 26 – An Unexpected Visit
The silence in the villa was almost oppressive.
Valen stood in the vast living room, fists clenched, eyes lost in the void.
The images of the hunters — their faces twisted with fear and disgust — kept looping in his mind.
He slammed his fist against the wall, cracking the stone.
> — "Their looks piss me off…" he growled.
— "They remind me of someone… and that makes me—"
His aura flared.
A dark wave pulsed through the room — the air itself trembled, bending under the pressure.
Then suddenly, a soft light emanated from the sword resting on the table.
A feminine silhouette emerged, faint at first, then fully human.
Long white hair cascaded over a pure kimono. Her red eyes glowed like calm embers.
> — "Calm yourself, Valen. It's not worth it."
Her voice was soothing, almost maternal, yet carried undeniable strength.
Valen stared, stunned.
> — "Who are you?"
> — "I am the spirit of the Sword of Judgment."
Valen exhaled slowly, regaining control.
> — "So it's you… thanks for stopping me from destroying everything.
Your name's Vael, right?"
The woman shook her head.
> — "No. I am not Vael.
My name is Elyonna."
Valen frowned.
> — "Then tell me… who is Vael?"
A heavy silence fell.
Elyonna's aura dimmed, and her eyes shifted away.
> — "That one… I don't want to speak of him."
— "Why?"
— "Because saying his name brings nothing but misfortune."
Valen said nothing.
Elyonna placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.
> — "Rest. Your mind is exhausted."
Her form faded back into the sword.
Silence returned.
But in the window's reflection, Valen swore he saw a shadow — his own — moving differently from him.
---
At Headquarters
Zarion sat lazily in a chair, staring at the pile of files in front of him.
He wasn't curious by nature — he observed, analyzed, and stayed in his lane.
But this time, Valen had cracked something in his calm.
It wasn't just power.
It was something else.
A presence that defied logic — those star-filled eyes, that unsettling composure…
and that name — Vael — which had made even a divine entity tremble.
The office door opened.
Liora, the HQ director, stepped in with folded arms.
> — "Zarion, you should go check on Valen.
Something tells me he's not doing well."
> — "Did something happen?" he asked cautiously.
> — "You know all you need to know."
Zarion eyed her suspiciously.
> — "So you're hiding something."
Liora looked away and handed him an envelope.
> — "Here's his address. Don't be stupid. And be careful."
Zarion sighed, pulled on his coat, and vanished in a swirl of black energy.
---
At Valen's Villa
A few minutes later, Zarion stood before the house.
Luxurious, quiet, sunlit — nothing about it fit the image of a man capable of shaking time itself.
He knocked.
Silence.
Then the door opened.
Valen appeared, hair messy, wearing a black tank top and holding a steaming cup of coffee.
> — "Ah… Zarion. You want some coffee? I just burned it."
Zarion raised an eyebrow.
> — "You look… normal."
> — "I am normal. Except for the part where I shake reality or condemn cosmic beings."
> — "Charming."
They sat on the balcony. The sun dipped low, painting the sky in warm orange hues.
> — "So why'd you come, really?" Valen asked bluntly.
> — "I wanted to understand who you are. What you really want."
Valen took a sip of his coffee, eyes fixed on the horizon.
> — "Me too, you know. I'd like to find out."
A quiet pause settled between them.
Then Valen added, half-smiling:
> — "But I get the feeling we're both too weird for simple answers."
Zarion smirked.
> — "Can't argue with that."
The wind whispered softly between them.
But behind the calm, in the shadowed room, the Sword of Judgment vibrated faintly.
As if Elyonna was still listening.
---
Chapter 27 – Cosmic Embarrassment
The balcony was almost peaceful.
The wind blew softly, the sunlight was just right…
But, of course, Valen had to ruin it.
> — "Hey, Zarion… you worried about me?"
— "That's cute. Really. I'm touched. So much that I'm embarrassed now… you shouldn't have."
He covered his face with his hands, mock-dramatic.
> — "I'm feeling… cosmically embarrassed."
Zarion stared at him, deadpan. Then took a slow step back.
> — "You serious right now? Bro, that reaction gave me chills. You're awkward on an intergalactic level."
Valen burst out laughing.
> — "You've got no heart, man. I share my emotional pain and you hit me with a punchline."
> — "I've got a heart, you're just abusing my patience. You're supposed to be a divine hunter, not a failed comedian."
> — "I'm versatile."
> — "No, you're exhausting."
A short silence — then both burst out laughing.
Zarion tried to sound serious again.
> — "Anyway… Liora was worried about you. She's the one who gave me your address."
Valen rolled his eyes.
> — "Ah, Liora… that woman seeks world peace, but not mine."
> — "She likes you, I think."
> — "No. She likes control. She was probably born holding a file."
Zarion stifled a laugh.
> — "I'll tell her you said that."
> — "I'll send her an invoice for disturbing my peace."
Valen sighed, a faint smile playing on his lips.
> — "You know, I've fought dimensional beasts, fallen gods, cursed portals…
but that woman still scares me more than all of them combined."
Zarion nodded gravely.
> — "Bro, you're not alone."
They laughed again.
Two hunters with too much power, too many secrets — but a questionable sense of humor to balance it all.
And maybe, deep down, that was their only real weapon.
---
Chapter 28 – A Pause Before the Storm
The calm was strange. Too strange.
As if the universe itself were holding its breath.
Zarion sat on the edge of the rooftop, legs dangling, eyes lost in the sky.
Valen, beside him, chewed on a cherry lollipop like nothing was wrong.
> — "You know… the world's falling apart," said Zarion thoughtfully.
> — "Yeah," Valen replied. "But have you tried these cherry lollipops? That's real salvation."
Zarion slowly turned his head, unimpressed.
> — "Are you ever serious?"
> — "If I start, I'll end up telling you I hear cosmic entities whispering in my dreams,
and sometimes I want to go supernova just to shut them up. So no — I'll stick to my lollipop, thanks."
Zarion stared for a moment… then chuckled.
> — "You're weird."
> — "And you're way too calm for a guy hiding on Earth with the face of a model student."
The wind blew gently, tossing Valen's white hair.
The sky, painted in gold and crimson, seemed to watch the two anomalies in silence.
Then — a piercing sound.
A red alert. Class S. Eastern District.
The peace shattered like glass.
Valen sighed without moving.
> — "Here we go."
> — "We heading out?" asked Zarion, already standing.
> — "Yeah, but no drama today, alright? Just a good fight. I need to vent my cosmic frustration."
> — "Try not to erase half the city with your Sword of Judgment."
Valen smirked.
> — "Relax. I'm leaving it home. Today, we go old school."
He raised his hand. A golden light appeared before him — the sword manifested, then faded into pure energy.
He had stored it back into his inner space.
Elyonna emerged in miniature form, silver hair dancing in the wind.
She perched on Valen's shoulder, arms crossed.
> — "You could at least warn me before trapping me in there again," she grumbled.
> — "You were quieter inside," Valen replied with a sly grin.
She glared at him, but couldn't hide a faint smile.
> — "Tssk… celestial idiot."
> — "Let's go," Valen said simply.
And with that, they left the rooftop — one floating, the other walking,
a trail of light following in their wake.
Two beings, ready to face whatever the world — or the heavens — decided to throw at them next.
Chapter 29 – Part I:The primordial dragon of nothingness
In an upper stratum of existence, far beyond the laws of time and matter, stretched a throne carved from pure darkness.
There sat the Lord of the Void — a massive, indistinct figure whose reptilian eyes pierced the endless black of the hall.
Around him, space itself seemed to bend, unable to bear his presence.
His servants — ancient entities — knelt before him. None dared to breathe. The mere breath of their Lord could annihilate a soul.
At last, one of them stepped forward.
A being dressed in a sharp suit, long brown hair tied neatly behind him, bowed deeply. His knees trembled against the obsidian floor.
> "My respects to Your Lordship…" he said, voice trembling.
Two eyes turned toward him, and the air grew heavy, almost liquid.
> "Speak, servant. What have you come to tell me? And where is Nyzorath?"
"He was to conquer a small planet for me. A trivial task, for one who boasted he could reduce worlds to ashes with a single flap of his wings."
The servant swallowed hard.
> "It is about Nyzorath, my lord…"
> "Well?" the voice from the throne rumbled. "Speak."
> "We… we've lost all contact with him. His presence… vanished."
The silence that followed made the entire stratum tremble. Cracks of shadow split the floor.
The servant, kneeling, felt his very essence flicker.
> "How…?" breathed the Lord, his tone echoing like a thousand thunders.
"Nyzorath… destroyed? Pathetic. You are all worthless."
But as the throne's energy began to rise, the servant lifted a trembling hand.
> "Wait, my lord… before he disappeared, he left a message. Just one word."
The golden eyes narrowed.
> "A word?"
> "Yes… or rather, a name."
> "Speak it."
The servant drew a shaky breath.
> "He said the name Vael."
A long silence followed.
Then the Lord's voice grew deeper, slower… almost amused.
> "Vael…" he repeated.
"Are you certain? That name should not exist in the lower planes."
> "We confirmed it, my lord. Just before his essence collapsed, he screamed that name."
The Lord of the Void rose slowly. Around him, reality twisted, and the constellations dimmed.
> "Interesting… Such a petty world hides something capable of slaying a primordial dragon."
An unseen smile took shape within the shadows.
> "If Vael is truly involved… this doesn't bode well."
His voice became an abyssal whisper, resonating through all higher planes.
> "Prepare the Arbiters. Observe that planet closely."
"If Judgment awakens there… even the heavens may no longer be safe."
The servant bowed and vanished in a ripple of darkness.
And in the empty hall, only the deep, resounding breath of the Lord remained.
> "Vael… what are you doing in such a fragile world?"