Inside Xuánhú's chamber, it was dark.
The four glowing pillars in the corners of the room still emanated light — dim, but not extinguished. Nix stood before Xuánhú, who remained kneeling, black chains still wrapped around her body. Her nine tails lay limp on the floor, each shackled with dimly glowing iron rings.
Nix took out the small bottle from his pocket. The golden-red blood inside still glistened.
"You actually came," Xuánhú whispered, her golden eyes fixed on the bottle.
"I had no choice," Nix said. "My friends outside are holding them back."
He opened the bottle. A single drop of blood fell onto the first iron ring.
But Nix didn't stop there.
He raised both hands. His fingers began to move — slowly, carefully, as if writing something in the air. Lines of red light formed at his fingertips, shaping ancient symbols that pulsed faintly.
"What is that?" Xuánhú whispered.
"The unlocking spell. I can't just pour the blood. I have to..." Nix sighed. "...open them."
His hands turned. The symbols floated toward the first iron ring — adhered to its surface, glowing brighter.
CRACK.
The ring cracked. Not only because of the blood — but because Nix's spell seeped into its fissures, weakening the structure from within.
The first tail moved — slightly, almost imperceptibly. But it moved.
Nix didn't stop. He continued to the second tail. Blood. Symbols. Different hand movements.
CRACK.
The second tail moved.
Third. Fourth. Fifth.
Each time, blood dripped. Each time, symbols formed. Each time, Nix's fingers moved in different patterns — not fast, but not slow. Consistent.
Sweat flowed down his temples. His hands began to tremble. But he didn't stop.
"You can do it," Xuánhú whispered.
Nix didn't answer. He kept working.
"One more," Xuánhú whispered. "Four more."
Nix nodded. His hands didn't stop.
---
In the throne room, the marble floor was increasingly shattered.
Leon stood facing Zenless. Lokantaka in hand. His chest rose and fell rapidly. The wound on his arm was superficial — not severe, but beginning to ache.
Zenless smiled. Golden light gathered at his fingertips.
"You're getting tired, Zero."
Leon didn't answer. He slashed — Dark Edge. Dark energy enveloped Lokantaka's blade, shooting toward Zenless.
Zenless didn't dodge. He raised his hand — Reflector. A thin golden wall appeared before him. Leon's slash struck the wall — and vanished with a flash of light.
"Golden Step."
Zenless moved sideways, evading the next attack. His body was illuminated by golden light — fast, graceful, unpredictable. His footsteps left golden sparkles in the air that slowly faded.
Leon gritted his teeth. He used short-range teleportation — appearing behind Zenless.
"Wailing Crescent!"
A circular slash. A crescent-shaped energy wave shot forth — purplish-black, slicing through the air with a hissing sound.
Zenless didn't turn. His hand moved backward — golden light forming a small shield on his back. Perfectly round, gleaming like a mirror.
CLANG.
Leon's slash struck the shield. The energy wave rebounded — bouncing off the wall, leaving deep scratches in the black marble.
Leon stepped back. Zenless turned.
"You're fast," Zenless said. "But not fast enough."
He raised both hands. Golden light began gathering between his palms — forming a growing ball. Not like Nix's fireball. This ball was solid, gleaming, like a small sun ready to explode. Ripples rippled across its surface — like waves on calm water.
"Solaris Cannon."
Leon couldn't dodge. Teleportation required time — not fast enough.
He raised Lokantaka.
"Dark Fracture Slash!"
From the sword's edge, jagged energy lines shot forth — twisting, branching, shattering space itself. Those lines were pitch black with purple edges, leaving crackling trails in the air that flickered before closing.
The lines collided with Zenless's sphere of light.
There was no massive explosion. Only a long hiss — like hot water falling on ice. Dark and golden energies consumed each other, destroyed each other, creating small sparks that scattered in all directions.
Leon gritted his teeth. Lokantaka trembled in his hand. His energy was draining — fast, too fast.
"You... can't hold this forever," Zenless whispered. His face was still calm, but sweat was beginning to flow down his temples. The sphere of light in his hands shrank slightly — not because it was weakening, but because Leon kept pressing.
"I know," Leon replied.
But he didn't stop.
---
On the other side of the room, Kazan stood facing Marcus.
Marcus growled. Blue fire at his fingertips blazed — not as large as before, but enough to burn. His body was still covered in old bloodstains, but his wounds were slowly closing — an imperfect healing process, slow, but ongoing.
"You think you can defeat me in that condition?" Marcus asked.
Kazan didn't answer. His sword was drawn — a dense white aura enveloped the blade, pulsing faintly like breath.
"Tenshi no Ichigeki!"
He leaped into the air, katana drawn back. As he descended, a downward slash — a white energy wave shot toward Marcus.
Marcus didn't dodge. He raised his arm — blue fire wrapped around his skin, but still appeared rough, uneven. He hadn't fully mastered this new power yet.
"Cobalt Impact."
His fist struck the white energy wave. Blue fire exploded inward — burning from within — but the white wave still shot forward.
Marcus stepped back one step. His arm bled — but the wound began closing. Green light glowed across his body, but also imperfectly. Sometimes too fast, sometimes too slow.
"Healing light..." Marcus whispered. He stared at his hand. "Still... not used to it."
Kazan gave him no time. "Mugen no Kōjin!"
Ten slashes in two seconds. His sword struck Marcus's chest repeatedly — CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! — each slash leaving shallow wounds that the green light immediately closed.
Marcus retreated. Five steps. His body was covered in wounds — but the wounds kept closing. The healing process was faster than before, but still appeared rough — new skin grew unevenly, leaving thin scars everywhere.
"You can't kill me," Marcus said. His breath was beginning to quicken. Not from exhaustion, but because his body was still adapting to two new powers clashing inside him.
"I don't need to kill you," Kazan replied. "I only need to stop you."
He didn't look exhausted. Not like Leon. Not like Nix. His eyes remained cold. His sword remained sharp. His movements remained precise — no wasted energy, no unnecessary motion.
Marcus growled. "You... haven't been serious?"
Kazan didn't answer.
But at the corner of his lips, there was a faint smile.
---
Amidst the chaos of the battle between Leon and Zenless, Kazan and Marcus, no one noticed Kal.
Kal still stood near the exit. Still couldn't leave. The door was still closed. No one entered. No one left.
His arm was still wounded. Blood still dripped. His breath was short.
"Damn..."
He looked around. No one would help him.
Kal bit his lip. His eyes darkened.
"No other choice."
He reached into his pocket. Pulled out a black stone shard — small, no larger than a thumb.
"I know this isn't the right time. But..." Kal gripped the shard tightly. "...I have no choice."
He crushed it.
CRACK.
The black stone shard shattered into dust. But from that dust, red light blazed — like embers, like nine pairs of eyes awakening from a long sleep.
And suddenly —
Everyone stopped.
Leon lowered Lokantaka. Kazan stepped back. Marcus halted his fist. Zenless fell silent.
Not because of a sound. Not because of light. But because of... an aura.
Something cold. Something heavy. Something pressing on their chests like an invisible weight. The air in the room changed — becoming denser, harder to breathe.
"What... is that?" Nix whispered from behind the door of Xuánhú's chamber. His hands froze mid-motion of unlocking a seal.
Leon didn't answer. He didn't know. No one knew.
But everyone felt it.
Someone was coming.
Someone terrifying.
Kal collapsed. His body trembled. His hand clutched his chest — as if holding back something that couldn't be held. His chest rose and fell rapidly. His eyes — empty, unfocused.
"Sorry..." he whispered. "Sorry... sorry..."
Leon turned toward Kal. "What did you do?"
Kal didn't answer. He couldn't. His mouth trembled, but no sound came out.
Zenless sighed. For the first time, his voice wasn't casual. There was another tone there — not anger, not fear, but like... resignation.
"You... summoned them?"
Kal didn't answer.
Zenless smiled — not a satisfied smile. A bitter smile. The smile of someone who knew something terrible was about to happen.
"Do you know what you've done?"
"I... had no choice..." Kal whispered. His voice broke. Tears streamed down his cheeks. "I couldn't get out... I couldn't... no one would help..."
In the distance, from beyond the Nexus walls, from beyond Nocturne's End, from beyond the horizon — that aura kept approaching.
Not yet visible. But already felt.
Like a nightmare slowly becoming real. Like an invisible hand beginning to crawl up their backs.
Leon gripped Lokantaka. His hand trembled — not from exhaustion. But from... premonition.
"What is it, Leon?" Satan whispered within him. His voice was no longer sarcastic. There was wariness in it.
"I don't know. But..." Leon swallowed. "...something is coming."
Behind the door of Xuánhú's chamber, Nix resumed his work. His hands moved faster — not out of panic, but because he knew time was running out.
He dropped Phoenix blood onto the sixth iron ring.
Symbols formed at his fingertips.
CRACK.
The sixth tail moved.
Outside, the terrifying presence continued to draw closer.
=== CHAPTER 37 END ===