Silence.
Heavy.
Oppressive.
The leader's words echoed in my mind.
The Realm recognizes only one Pure One.
And that… is you.
For a brief moment, even I did not respond.
Not because I was speechless.
Not because I was shaken.
But because I was thinking.
Carefully.
Calmly.
The seven remained bowed.
Respectful.
Still.
Even the air around us felt heavier than before.
I slowly exhaled.
The crackling lightning around my body weakened slightly.
Storm Deity Ascension remained active, but only barely.
My reserves were nearly empty.
My body burned from within.
Muscles screamed.
Nerves throbbed.
Yet my mind remained sharp.
Sharper than ever.
I studied the seven in silence.
Then I spoke.
"Explain."
My voice came out calm.
Flat.
Cold.
The leader slowly raised his head.
His expression remained composed.
"As expected."
A faint smile touched his lips.
"Straight to the point."
I remained silent.
He continued.
"Our race possesses a unique perception."
His voice was steady.
"We sense things hidden beneath appearances."
"Bloodlines."
"Origins."
"Laws."
"Truth."
My gaze narrowed slightly.
Interesting.
The leader continued.
"We have seen many Pure Ones."
My expression did not change.
But inwardly—
I paid close attention.
"We have seen false ones."
"Incomplete ones."
"Artificial ones."
"Defective ones."
Then—
He paused.
His eyes locked onto mine.
"And true ones."
The atmosphere grew heavier.
The six behind him remained motionless.
The leader's voice deepened.
"But you…"
A brief pause.
"…are different."
I narrowed my eyes.
"Different how?"
The leader became quiet.
Thinking.
Searching for the right words.
Then he spoke.
"When we perceive other Pure Ones…"
"We sense dominance."
"Power."
"Suppression."
"Authority."
He paused again.
Then—
"When we perceive you…"
His eyes sharpened.
"We sense something older."
My expression hardened slightly.
Older?
He continued.
"Something purer."
"Something deeper."
"Something complete."
Silence returned.
His voice lowered.
"It feels as if the laws around you naturally submit."
That line made me pause.
Because it wasn't the first time I had heard something similar.
The heavens.
The Realm.
Nyxaroth.
Even the system.
Everything reacted strangely around me.
As if something fundamental about me was wrong.
Or perhaps—
Too right.
The leader lowered his head slightly.
"That is why we acknowledge you."
I stared at him.
Then asked the question that mattered more.
"If that's all…"
I glanced around the ruined battlefield.
"Why approach me?"
My gaze sharpened.
"You clearly want something."
The leader smiled faintly.
He appreciated directness.
"Yes."
He turned and gestured toward the battlefield.
"The fallen soldiers."
I scanned the area again.
Nothing.
No corpses.
No remains.
Only destruction.
"They're gone."
I said it plainly.
The leader nodded.
"Yes."
Then—
"No."
I frowned.
He continued.
"They are neither alive…"
"Nor erased."
That made me pause.
Interesting.
The leader raised his hand.
Dark mist gathered above his palm.
Tiny particles.
Almost invisible.
My eyes sharpened instantly.
Shadow fragments.
Dispersed essence.
So that was it.
"They were struck by the aftermath of your clash."
The leader's tone grew serious.
"Not directly."
"They survived the impact."
"But the lingering Authority prevents restoration."
I understood immediately.
My gaze sharpened.
"They're trapped."
The leader nodded.
"Yes."
"Between destruction and restoration."
That was bad.
Very bad.
Shadow beings revived using Realm energy and Nyxaroth's power.
But Authority changed everything.
Authority could overwrite natural laws.
Authority could deny recovery.
Authority could erase existence.
I folded my arms.
"So why ask me?"
I glanced toward .
"He owns this Realm."
The leader's expression shifted.
Something darker passed through his eyes.
"This is beyond the Patriarch."
Nyxaroth remained silent.
He did not deny it.
Interesting.
The leader continued.
"The Authority affecting them belongs to you."
Of course.
That explained everything.
Only I could undo it.
The leader bowed again.
"We ask for your help."
The six behind him bowed with him.
Perfect synchronization.
Complete sincerity.
I studied them quietly.
Then exhaled.
"Fine."
The leader lifted his head.
Relief flickered in his purple eyes.
"But how?"
That was the real problem.
My reserves were almost gone.
I could barely maintain this form.
The leader stepped forward.
Calmly.
No hostility.
No pressure.
No killing intent.
He stopped several meters before me.
Then spoke.
"We only need you to disperse the lingering Authority."
He raised one hand slowly.
Darkness gathered above his palm.
A black sphere formed.
Small.
Dense.
Pure.
The concentration was absurd.
Even from here, I could tell how refined that shadow energy was.
"With your comprehension," he said calmly, "this should be simple."
I frowned.
Then—
He disappeared.
My pupils contracted.
What—
Before my mind could process anything—
A palm touched my chest.
Cold.
Silent.
Already there.
No warning.
No sound.
No pressure.
Nothing.
I froze.
The leader stood directly before me.
His palm rested against my chest.
A dense wave of shadow energy surged into my body.
Cold.
Heavy.
Ancient.
My body reacted instinctively.
The foreign energy entered my channels.
Shadow energy.
Normally violent.
Normally incompatible.
But the moment it entered—
It changed.
Converted.
Refined.
Shadow became neutral.
Neutral became usable.
Raw energy spread through my exhausted body.
My depleted reserves began recovering.
But I barely noticed.
Because my mind had frozen.
He moved.
Crossed that distance.
Raised his hand.
Placed his palm on my chest.
And—
I sensed nothing.
Nothing.
No warning.
No danger.
No reaction from Prime Instinct.
Nothing.
Then the realization hit.
Cold.
Brutal.
Terrifying.
If that palm had aimed higher—
At my throat.
My skull.
My heart.
I would already be dead.
BOOOOOOM—
My body moved instantly.
Pure instinct.
I blurred backward.
Lightning exploded around me.
Tens of kilometers vanished in a blink.
I reappeared in the distance.
Back in base form.
Breathing steady.
Eyes locked onto the seven.
The leader remained where he stood.
Calm.
Unmoving.
No hostility.
No surprise.
As if my reaction was expected.
I slowly raised a hand to my chest.
Still feeling where his palm had landed.
Cold sweat ran down my back.
Impossible.
That movement…
I didn't see it.
I didn't sense it.
I didn't predict it.
For the first time in a long while—
I felt genuine caution.
I narrowed my eyes.
Then slowly closed them.
If Prime Instinct was insufficient…
Then I needed something greater.
Something sharper.
Something absolute.
My eyes opened.
The world changed.
SERAPHIM.