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Velthorne never truly slept.
Even deep into the night, the massive trade city remained alive with noise.
Merchants shouted across crowded streets.
Carriages rolled through glowing avenues.
Music echoed from taverns packed with travelers and mercenaries.
But beneath all of it—
Tension spread quietly.
The Church had increased patrols.
Soldiers guarded every major district.
And rumors about corrupted resonance users spread like wildfire.
Inside a small rented inn near the eastern district, the seven resonance holders gathered around a wooden table under dim candlelight.
No one looked relaxed.
"…So," Mira began while spinning a dagger lazily between her fingers,
"…we're officially attracting psychos now."
Lior looked nervous.
"…That guy earlier…"
He swallowed.
"…Could that really happen to us?"
Silence fell immediately.
Dianara finally answered quietly.
"…If synchronization collapses badly enough…"
"…yes."
Lior's face went pale.
Izumi leaned back slightly.
"…Then we make sure it doesn't happen."
Astra looked toward him.
"…It isn't that simple."
Mira groaned.
"…Can one person here stop saying ominous things for five minutes?"
"…No."
"…Fair enough."
Resonance Side Effects
The connection between them still lingered faintly after Nerathis.
Not as intense as before—
But enough to create problems.
Especially emotionally.
Seraphina suddenly stood from the corner of the room.
"…Someone is outside."
Instantly—
Everyone became alert.
Ravian moved toward the window silently while Mira disappeared into shadows without hesitation.
Izumi felt it through the resonance.
Her excitement.
"…You enjoy this too much," he muttered.
A faint smirk echoed back emotionally from somewhere in the darkness.
Ravian glanced outside briefly.
Then frowned.
"…No visible threat."
But Astra's expression sharpened slightly.
"…Not outside."
Everyone froze.
Then—
A soft knock echoed at the door.
Three knocks.
Slow.
Controlled.
Nobody moved immediately.
Another knock followed.
"…Open the door."
A calm female voice spoke from outside.
"…Before Mira decides to stab me through the wall."
Mira instantly appeared again near the ceiling beams.
"…Okay that's creepy."
Izumi slowly approached the door.
Carefully.
The resonance pulsed faintly.
Not danger.
But caution.
He opened the door slightly.
And Eleanor Valeris stood outside.
Alone.
The Saint's Visit
The silver-haired Saint of Judgment entered calmly after Izumi allowed it.
Her golden eyes scanned the room carefully.
Calculating.
Mira remained perched above with daggers ready.
"…You really just invite yourself into random inns?"
"Yes."
Eleanor answered without hesitation.
"…Wow. I hate you already."
Eleanor ignored her completely.
Her attention shifted toward Astra instead.
"…You're unusual."
Astra stared back calmly.
"…So are you."
The atmosphere tightened instantly.
Dianara stepped between them slightly.
"…Why are you here?"
Eleanor rested her spear lightly against the wall.
"…Because Velthorne is about to become dangerous."
Ravian crossed his arms.
"…More dangerous than usual?"
Eleanor nodded once.
"…The Church confirmed three corrupted resonance incidents today alone."
Silence.
Lior looked shocked.
"…Three?!"
"…And that's only inside this city."
Izumi's expression hardened.
"…What's causing it?"
Eleanor looked directly at him.
"…You."
The room instantly became tense.
Mira dropped from the ceiling immediately.
"…Careful what you say next."
But Eleanor remained calm.
"…The Devourer's awakening destabilized dormant fragments worldwide."
"…Resonance holders are appearing faster."
"…And weaker minds are collapsing under synchronization pressure."
Astra quietly added—
"…The world is entering resonance acceleration."
Dianara's eyes widened slightly.
"…That shouldn't happen this early…"
Eleanor noticed her reaction instantly.
"…So you do understand fragments."
Dianara stayed silent.
Too late.
Eleanor's gaze sharpened.
"…Then my suspicion was correct."
The Proposal
The Saint of Judgment stepped closer to the table.
"…The Church wants answers."
Ravian immediately frowned.
"…No."
Eleanor ignored him.
"…But I'm offering something different."
Izumi narrowed his eyes.
"…What?"
"…An alliance."
Silence.
Even Mira blinked.
"…Excuse me?"
Eleanor crossed her arms calmly.
"…Whether you realize it or not…"
"…all of you are becoming central figures in a global crisis."
Her golden eyes locked onto Izumi.
"…And soon the entire world will start hunting fragment holders."
The room became completely silent.
Because everyone knew—
She was right.
End Build-Up
Before anyone could respond—
The resonance inside all seven members pulsed violently.
Suddenly.
Sharp.
Astra's eyes widened instantly.
"…Move."
BOOM.
The inn exploded inward.
A massive blade of black lightning tore through the building.
Everyone scattered instantly as debris crashed around them.
And standing outside beneath the storm-covered streets—
A man wrapped in dark armor slowly lowered his glowing black blade.
Lightning crackled around him violently.
His eyes glowed crimson beneath the rain.
"…Found you."
Eleanor's expression darkened immediately.
"…Architect."
The man smiled coldly.
"…Raijin Amanojaku."
Rain poured across the shattered street.
The destroyed inn burned behind them as debris scattered across the road.
Civilians screamed and fled in panic.
And standing in the center of the chaos—
Raijin Amanojaku smiled calmly.
Black lightning crackled around his body like living serpents, distorting the air itself.
The pressure radiating from him was completely different from previous enemies.
Controlled.
Experienced.
Deadly.
Mira landed beside Izumi, daggers spinning into her hands.
"…Why do Architect members always have the most dramatic entrances?"
Raijin glanced toward her.
"…And you must be the shadow girl."
"…Ew. Don't nickname me."
Despite the joke—
The resonance between the group tightened sharply.
Danger.
Extreme danger.
Raijin's Presence
Eleanor stepped forward first.
Her silver spear glowed brightly against the rain.
"…One of the Architect's generals entering a human kingdom openly."
Her golden eyes narrowed.
"…Bold."
Raijin shrugged slightly.
"…The world already changed."
"…No point hiding anymore."
The storm above intensified.
Black lightning flashed across the sky unnaturally.
Lior swallowed hard.
"…This guy feels way stronger than Arman…"
Astra's eyes remained fixed on Raijin.
"…He is."
That answer alone made everyone tense further.
Raijin slowly looked across the entire group.
Studying them.
Then his gaze stopped on Astra.
"…So the Seventh survived after all."
Mira frowned immediately.
"…Can everyone stop talking about us like collectible items?"
Raijin ignored her completely.
"…The Architect was curious whether Nerathis would kill you."
Izumi stepped forward slightly.
"…And if it did?"
Raijin smiled faintly.
"…Then you weren't worth observing."
The First Clash
The resonance connection between the seven pulsed violently.
Not fear.
Instinct.
Raijin vanished.
BOOM.
The street exploded beneath Izumi an instant later.
Izumi barely blocked the incoming blade strike in time.
Black lightning erupted outward on impact.
The force launched him backward through broken stone.
"IZUMI!"
Seraphina moved instantly—
Intercepting Raijin's second strike before it reached him.
CLANG.
Her blade trembled violently against Raijin's dark sword.
Raijin's crimson eyes widened slightly.
"…Fast."
Seraphina's expression stayed calm.
"…You talk too much."
Mira burst from the shadows behind him immediately.
Blood-red shadow energy coated both daggers.
Raijin twisted sideways effortlessly.
One dagger grazed his armor—
And exploded with shadow-blood magic.
BOOM.
The street shattered again.
But when the smoke cleared—
Raijin remained standing.
Barely damaged.
"…Interesting magic."
He looked toward Mira.
"…You'd make an excellent Architect."
Mira visibly recoiled.
"…I would literally rather die."
Synchronization Combat
Raijin attacked again.
This time faster.
But the resonance reacted instantly.
Izumi felt Seraphina's movement before she moved.
Dianara sensed Raijin's mana direction.
Ravian predicted the attack angle.
The seven moved together naturally.
For the first time since Nerathis—
Their synchronization activated during open combat.
Raijin noticed immediately.
"…So it's already evolving."
Black lightning erupted around him violently.
The pressure exploded across the district.
Several nearby buildings collapsed instantly.
Eleanor slammed her spear into the ground.
Golden barriers expanded outward to protect fleeing civilians.
"…Take this fight outside the city!"
Raijin laughed quietly.
"…No."
He raised one hand toward the sky.
Black lightning spread through the storm clouds above Velthorne.
Then—
Multiple dark magic circles appeared across the city skyline.
Dianara's face went pale.
"…That's impossible…"
Astra immediately understood.
"…Fragment amplification."
Raijin smiled.
"…Congratulations."
"…You've officially become the center of the Fragment War."
Chaos Across Velthorne
Suddenly—
Explosions erupted throughout the city.
Screams echoed from distant districts.
Dark mana pulses appeared everywhere.
Not one.
Not two.
Dozens.
Lior looked horrified.
"…There are more resonance holders here?!"
Raijin's grin widened.
"…Some willing."
"…Some broken."
"…Some hunting each other already."
The city was collapsing into chaos.
Right now.
And this wasn't random.
It was planned.
Eleanor's expression darkened completely.
"…You used Velthorne as a trigger point…"
Raijin slowly pointed his blade toward Izumi.
"…No."
Black lightning surged violently around him.
"…I used HIM."
The resonance inside Izumi pulsed painfully.
Almost reacting to Raijin's words.
Final Scene
Rain continued pouring across the ruined streets as chaos spread throughout Velthorne.
Fires burned in the distance.
Dark mana pulses erupted across the skyline.
The Fragment War had begun.
Raijin slowly stepped backward into the storm.
Not retreating.
Watching.
"…Grow stronger, resonance holders."
His voice echoed through the rain.
"…The world is finally becoming interesting again."
Black lightning flashed—
And he vanished instantly.
Silence fell briefly.
Only rain remained.
Then—
Another explosion echoed somewhere deeper inside the city.
A terrified scream followed.
And above Velthorne—
New fragments began glowing in the darkness.