As they strolled through the echoing halls of the Realm of Knowhere, the Collector's maid glanced around uneasily. The atmosphere was thick with whispers and avoidance.
"Sir." She asked quietly, "Is this your first time here? Why… why do they all look at you like that?"
Soren chuckled, a calm and almost lazy sound that didn't match the glint in his eyes. "I suppose word travels fast around here."
He reached into his storage ring and drew a weapon that shimmered with crimson light.
"This." He said, holding it up for her to see. "This is the Blade of Fury."
"A little souvenir from a brute who thought he could rob me the moment I arrived."
The maid's eyes widened the instant she recognized the weapon. Her voice caught in her throat.
"That's… that belonged to the Red Devil."
Soren nodded casually. "Used to. Not anymore."
The maid's face turned pale.
The Red Devil wasn't just another thug, he was a tyrant of the Belt, feared even among desperadoes.
With that blade and the mysterious power backing him, almost no one dared challenge him.
Until now.
"You slaughtered him?" She whispered.
"He tried to take what wasn't his." Soren replied.
"I simply helped him understand the consequences of bad decisions."
She stared at the blade again, then looked around at the fearful glances, the hasty retreats of the people nearby.
It all made sense now.
"Sir… we should go back." She said in a hushed tone, anxiety creeping into her voice. "This place, it draws all kinds of violent and desperate beings."
"The Red Devil was feared not just because of his blade. He had powerful forces behind him. If they learn what you did, it could bring trouble even the Collector might not want."
Soren turned his gaze to her, but didn't answer right away.
Trouble? That wasn't what concerned him.
"Too late."
The maid blinked. "What?"
He tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowing. "Something's coming."
A cold shiver ran down the maid's spine just as the air around them trembled. A vast pressure descended on the Realm, so heavy and primal it caused the very space to groan.
Far off, people began to flee in a panic. Buildings shook. Lights flickered. A loud humming noise vibrated through the foundation of reality itself.
"What… what is that?" the maid gasped, clinging to a nearby pillar to keep herself steady.
Soren's expression was calm, but a flicker of seriousness touched his voice.
"A presence that burns the void itself. I haven't felt this kind of pressure in a long time."
Above them, the sky split open.
A massive spatial rupture formed like a yawning black wound in the fabric of reality.
From within it, a fire blazed, not ordinary fire, but a celestial flame that burned the emptiness itself.
Even Soren took a measured step back, his senses sharpening.
The maid dropped to one knee, overwhelmed. Her voice trembled.
"Th-this aura… it's enough to break minds just by existing…"
Soren stood tall, cloak billowing from the distorted winds that swirled around the anomaly. His voice was low but resolute.
"Looks like the Red Devil's backers just got my calling card."
He smiled faintly.
"Good. I was getting bored."
A thunderous voice rumbled out from the swirling black void overhead.
"So you're the insect who killed my brother?"
The space tore open violently as a massive, flame-cloaked arm forced its way out. Red, veined, and radiating infernal heat, it wrenched apart the dimensional veil like wet paper.
From within, a colossal figure emerged, towering, broad-shouldered, his entire body pulsing with molten power.
The ground cracked beneath his feet as he stepped into the Realm of Knowhere.
The Collector's maid stumbled back, her face pale as ash. Her knees buckled under the sheer pressure, but she didn't fall...
The red giant glared at her with eyes like burning coals.
"Move aside, girl. If it weren't for the Collector's name, I'd crush you where you stand."
She trembled, unable to speak.
His gaze slid past her and locked onto Soren. He sneered.
"Hiding behind a woman now? Are you always this pathetic?"
Soren let out a quiet sigh, rubbing the back of his neck as if the whole situation was more inconvenient than frightening.
"You've got a big mouth." He brushes the maid aside gently.
His presence surged outward, matching the red giant's oppressive aura with calm intensity. "If you're done barking, we can skip to the part where I put you down like your brother."
The maid panicked, grabbing Soren's arm. "Sir, no!"
"You don't understand… he's not like the Red Devil. He's stronger. Much stronger!"
Soren looked at her with a rare flicker of warmth. "I know. But thanks for worrying."
She hesitated, biting her lip, then leaned closer and whispered urgently:
"If things go bad, give him the artifact. I'll inform Master Collector."
"Please, just don't die, okay? We've… lost maids before. They got turned into exhibits."
Soren raised an eyebrow at that. "Collector really needs a new HR policy."
She gave a nervous chuckle despite herself, then ran off to alert the Collector.
As the maid slipped away, Soren lifted his gaze to the towering red giant wreathed in searing flames.
The system's interface flickered to life, revealing the brute's level, and what he saw sparked more curiosity.
꧁𓊈𒆜༺⚜༻𒆜𓊉꧂
PhantomDream