Deep within the darkened depths of the Shadow Realm, Shunjiro and the Crimson Lotus guild trudged onward, the oppressive silence broken only by distant, unsettling tremors. Each quake made the ground shudder violently, sending chills down their spines and anxiety racing through their veins. Emi’s breath quickened, her entire frame trembling with fear as another tremor jolted beneath her feet. “W-What could possibly be causing this?” Her voice shook, barely above a whisper. Satoshi, noticing Emi’s anxiety, gently placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “Relax, Emi. Whatever is causing those quakes isn’t heading toward us. If we remain quiet and calm, we’ll be fine.” Despite his comforting words, Kojiro’s expression remained tense, his sharp eyes scanning their surroundings warily. “Still, it’s incredibly worrying. Tremors of this magnitude can only mean something monstrous.” Yuuna, silent as ever, finally broke her contemplative silence, speaking softly but clearly. “Two corrupted beings are likely clashing. Such encounters are rare but catastrophic.” Satoshi chuckled darkly, attempting to mask his own unease. “Way out of our league. Best we pretend we don’t hear them.” Shunjiro, curious and concerned, turned to Satoshi. “Are corrupted beings really that common around here?” “Not in the normal world,” Satoshi responded with a grim nod. “But here, in the Shadow Realm, you can encounter them far more frequently. You see, whenever someone becomes corrupted, the typical approach now is to banish them to this forsaken realm for the rest of their lives.” Shunjiro’s brows furrowed deeply, anger and sadness intermingling on his face. “That’s… that’s incredibly messed up.” Satoshi sighed in agreement, bitterness tinting his voice. “It used to be different. Governments and kingdoms would keep corrupted people contained, working tirelessly to discover a cure. But after years of failed experiments and little progress, most gave up hope. The research became abandoned, deemed too difficult, too costly, and far too time-consuming. Hundreds of years of fruitless effort convinced them it was easier to exile or execute the corrupted instead.” “That’s horrible,” Shunjiro whispered quietly, fists clenching. His mind instantly drifted toward Itsuki’s sister, Suzu. He vividly recalled her crimson eyes, her terrifying power, and the lingering pain etched across Itsuki’s face. The thought of Suzu, or anyone else for that matter, being condemned forever haunted him. With newfound resolve, Shunjiro silently vowed, I’ll find a way to help Suzu. I’ll find that cure, no matter what it takes. Driven by determination, Shunjiro quickened his pace, suddenly desperate to reunite with his guildmates and tell Itsuki of his resolution. Emi noticed him hastening away and called after him, “Wait up, Shunjiro!” She hurried forward, and the rest of Crimson Lotus sped up to match them, unaware that at this very moment, Shunjiro’s friends had narrowly escaped death from those very quakes, and were traveling the opposite direction. Meanwhile, back near the ruins of the once-safe Shadow Inn, devastation stretched in every direction. Thorn and Roman, two SSS-ranked corrupted warriors, lay sprawled on a battlefield scarred by their intense battle. Covered head-to-toe in blood, they struggled to remain standing, both on the verge of collapse. Gathering his remaining strength, Thorn threw a devastating punch into Roman’s side. His fist radiated violent seismic energy, shattering Roman’s ribs with a nauseating crunch. Roman grunted painfully yet smiled fiercely through the agony, responding instantly with a bone-crushing strike of his own into Thorn’s ribs, the impact reverberating audibly through the air. Both warriors staggered back, blood dripping from their battered forms. Roman breathed heavily, vision swimming with fatigue and pain. “Looks like we’re both gonna die here today,” he rasped weakly. Thorn’s lips curled into a bloody smirk. “Seems fitting,” he coughed, spitting crimson onto the ravaged ground. “I’ll be waiting in hell for our rematch.” Roman chuckled softly, his knees finally buckling as he crashed onto the broken earth. “Not sure I’ll last long enough even for that…” His consciousness wavered, images flashing vividly through his mind. Two shadowy figures loomed before him, their presence oppressive and suffocating. Have I truly become just like them? he wondered bitterly, his resolve fading fast. Just as both warriors teetered on the edge of oblivion, footsteps approached calmly, methodically, echoing ominously over the devastated landscape. A figure draped in a long black and purple robe emerged, his features concealed entirely beneath a deep hood and a strangely ornate mask. An air of unfathomable menace radiated from him. The stranger’s voice carried an authoritative yet disturbingly calm tone. “I am known simply as Number 1.” Both Thorn and Roman, despite their waning consciousness, instinctively recognized the tremendous threat he posed. “But your identities hardly matter now,” Number 1 continued nonchalantly. “I come bearing an opportunity.” Roman’s eyes, blurred and distant, struggled to remain open. Thorn lay beside him, equally drained yet still defiant. Neither replied, yet both felt a desperate hunger for survival, unwilling to embrace death. Number 1 continued, indifferent to their lack of response. “I offer you freedom from this forsaken realm, a chance to unleash your true power upon the world.” Without awaiting their consent, he effortlessly raised a hand. A surge of unimaginable energy washed over both warriors, healing their broken bodies and restoring them completely. Stunned, Thorn and Roman slowly rose, confusion and suspicion clear in their wary gazes. Thorn exchanged a quick, knowing glance with Roman, instantly formulating their plan. Both launched forward simultaneously, fists poised to ambush and eliminate Number 1. Yet, mere inches from reaching their target, an invisible force froze them in place, their attacks suspended uselessly in the air. Number 1 lowered his head, voice cold and commanding. “Futile. You misunderstand your position. You will both serve as my test subjects, harbingers of chaos set loose upon the world.” Roman snarled through gritted teeth, still immobilized. “Why set us free? What’s your endgame?” Number 1 spoke calmly, his voice reverberating with dark confidence. “Your liberation will force the world to witness firsthand the true potential and threat of the corrupted. Chaos will be your guide, your purpose, your creed.” He waved his hand casually, and reality itself distorted violently as a rift tore open in space, shimmering ominously before them. He gestured smoothly toward it. “Go now and reshape the world.” Roman and Thorn exchanged another brief, cautious glance, fully aware this being was far beyond their comprehension. Reluctantly, yet irresistibly drawn by the promise of freedom, they stepped into the rift. As they vanished, the gateway sealed shut immediately, leaving Number 1 standing alone amidst devastation. Slowly, the enigmatic figure surveyed the shattered battleground with cold detachment. Then, with another subtle wave, he vanished into the void, leaving only an echoing silence behind.