The ruins did not simply shake—they buckled, folding inward under the gravity storm Adrax dragged behind his descending hand. Every slab of stone bent like softened metal. Every pillar hunched toward the collapsing center.
And in the middle of it:
Null and Hyung stood shoulder to shoulder,
one aura rising,
one resolve anchoring the earth itself.
Then—
A sound sliced through the destruction.
A single, sharp whistle.
Followed by:
"Wow. I leave the world alone for one week and you two idiots start a boss raid without me?"
Hyung blinked.
Null blinked.
A figure stepped out through the swirling dust as if strolling onto a casual street.
A tall boy, lean but wiry, messy silver hair that kept falling over one eye, wearing a black jacket covered in random stickers and patches that did not match at all. A lollipop stick hung from his mouth.
He waved lazily.
"Yo. The name's D U. Just D U. Full name? Classified. My real name? You don't get that yet. Too cool for early reveals."
He pointed at the collapsing rift overhead.
"Also—who invited the giant cosmic gorilla?"
Adrax paused.
Actually paused.
For the first time since his arrival, his descent halted mid-air. The shadows spiraling around his form stuttered like a corrupted signal, reacting to something unexpected.
Hyung whispered:
"…Who the hell is this clown?"
Null stared, speechless, as D U hopped over a chunk of falling debris the way someone steps over a puddle.
Then D U slapped Hyung's shoulder.
"Hyung! Looking buff. Like a gym influencer that lost his channel."
Hyung: "Don't touch me."
D U moved to Null.
"And you—bro, you look like you haven't slept since the dinosaur age. Your aura's cool though. Very 'I might explode or become god' vibe."
Null opened his mouth.
D U cut him off.
"No talking. Your brain's fried. Drink this."
He shoved a can into Null's hand.
Null stared.
"…What is this?"
"A stress drink. I made it. 90% illegal ingredients. Might kill you. Might fix your brain. Fun gamble, yeah?"
Hyung hissed under his breath:
"Null, don't drink anything that clown gives you—"
Null took a sip.
Hyung: "WHY?"
Null blinked."…It tastes good."
D U clapped.
"Knew it. Your taste buds are elite."
Adrax's voice rumbled downward like thunder pushed through gravel.
"Child. Your presence is not permitted."
D U looked up.
"Bro. Big guy. Adrax. Dramatic entrance. Nice lighting. But…"
He pointed directly at Adrax.
"You're cheating. You're dropping atmospheric pressure without a permit. That's like, illegal in twelve dimensions."
Hyung snapped:
"Can you be serious for one second?!"
D U grinned.
"I am serious. Watch."
He flicked his finger toward the air.
Just a flick.
But the debris instantly froze, suspended mid-fall.
Null felt it.
A distortion.
A presence.
Not cosmic.
Not divine.
Not like Adrax.
But weird.
Untamed.
Unpredictable.
Like a wild knife balanced on the edge of genius and insanity.
Adrax's massive hand twitched.
D U stretched lazily.
Then—
He stepped forward,
placed his thumb and finger together,
and snapped.
A soft, harmless snap.
But the universe flinched.
Adrax's descending pressure fractured—like glass cracking inward. The colossal hand recoiled slightly, the shadows flickering.
Hyung's eyes widened.
"…He made Adrax hesitate."
Null felt it too.Adrax's aura no longer pressed with absolute dominance.Something about D U didn't counter his power—it jammed it.Like interference scrambling a signal.
D U smirked.
"You're not used to someone with… my type of existence, yeah? Don't worry. Nobody is."
Adrax's tone dropped to a low warning vibration.
"What are you?"
D U tilted his head.
"Me? I'm the guy Aizeno forgot to delete."
Hyung stiffened.
Null's breath caught.
D U continued:
"You're all talking about vessels, fragments, keys… blah blah blah. Cool lore. But Aizeno messed up."
He pointed at Null.
"That kid? He's not just missing a piece."
He pointed at Hyung.
"And you? You're not just holding it."
Then he tapped his own chest.
"And me? I'm the mistake that knows where the missing code is buried."
Adrax's rift shuddered.
"You carry contamination."
D U grinned wider.
"I carry freedom. And I'm very, very bad for your script."
Hyung grabbed Null's arm, voice urgent.
"What does that mean? What is he talking about?"
Null didn't answer.
Because something inside him responded to D U—
not with fear,
not with pain,
but with…
recognition.
The same part of him that awakened in Chapter 45 stirred again, sharp and alert.
D U turned toward Null.
"Listen carefully. I didn't come just for jokes."
His voice dropped to a whisper only Null could hear.
"Your memory wasn't stolen… it was protected. By someone who didn't trust Adrax. Someone who didn't trust Aizeno either."
Null's chest tightened.
"Who?"
D U tapped his own temple.
"The one who hid your truth is still alive."
The ruins trembled again as Adrax resumed his descent.
"Enough."
Shadows expanded, blotting out the sky.
But now—
There were three standing against him.
Hyung, teeth gritted, aura burning.
Null, new power simmering beneath the spiral eye.
And D U, hands in pockets, smiling like he was watching a movie.
Hyung stepped forward.
"D U… can you actually fight?"
D U shrugged.
"Fight? Nah. Fighting is boring."
He cracked his neck.
"But ruining a cosmic monster's day? That I can do."
The air split.
Adrax descended.
The ground broke.
The three stood as the impact arrived.
The battle for Null's core truly began.