The ground trembled again.
This time, it did not stop.
From the distant horizon, the shapes became clearer.
Large.
Distorted.
Moving in unnatural patterns.
The air grew heavier with every passing second.
Eleven stared toward the distance, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"…What are those?"
Susai did not turn back.
Her gaze remained fixed on the approaching figures.
"Monsters," she said.
The word felt unfamiliar.
Unreal.
"…Monsters?" Eleven repeated quietly.
"They weren't always here."
Her voice carried something deeper now.
Not fear.
Not anger.
But recognition.
"They were created."
A brief silence followed.
"…By who?"
Susai did not answer.
She stepped forward.
"Stay behind me."
Eleven did not move immediately.
His body felt strange.
Heavy… yet light.
Weak… yet something beneath that weakness stirred faintly.
The mountain behind him pulsed again.
A low vibration.
Barely noticeable—
But real.
Inside the sealed depths, one of the chakra points flickered once more.
Not in response to danger.
In response to him.
The first creature arrived.
It did not resemble anything natural.
Its body was uneven, formed from fragments that did not fully connect. Its limbs moved out of sync, dragging across the ground with a scraping sound that echoed through the still air.
Its eyes—
If they could be called that—
Glowed faintly.
Locked onto Eleven.
"…"
It moved.
Fast.
Faster than its broken form suggested.
In a single motion, it closed the distance.
Before Eleven could react—
Susai stepped in front of him.
Her hand moved once.
Nothing flashy.
No visible power.
And yet—
The creature stopped.
Its body froze mid-motion.
Then—
It collapsed.
Not cut.
Not burned.
Not destroyed.
It simply… lost the ability to exist.
Eleven's eyes widened.
"…What was that?"
Susai lowered her hand slowly.
"Focus," she said.
More creatures appeared behind the first.
Not one.
Not two.
Dozens.
Different shapes.
Different forms.
All moving toward the same point.
Toward the mountain.
Toward him.
Far above—
God Galaxy observed silently.
"They've found it."
God Aurora watched with narrowed eyes.
"…Too quickly."
God Infinity remained still.
"They were designed to search," he said.
"And now they've found something worth reaching."
A pause.
"…Him," God Galaxy said.
"No," God Infinity replied.
"…Everything."
Back on the ground—
The creatures surged forward.
This time—
They did not stop.
Susai moved.
Faster than before.
Her steps were precise.
Minimal.
Every motion ended a creature.
No wasted energy.
No hesitation.
But there were too many.
One slipped past her.
Then another.
And another.
They began to surround Eleven.
His breathing quickened.
"…What do I do?"
No answer came.
Because this—
Was not something she could solve for him.
One of the creatures lunged.
Eleven reacted instinctively.
He stepped back—
But his foot slipped on the uneven ground.
He fell.
The creature closed in.
Its distorted limb stretched unnaturally—
Reaching.
Closer.
Closer.
Then—
Something inside him shifted.
Not a thought.
Not a decision.
A reaction.
The air around his hand trembled.
A faint, invisible distortion—
Formed.
The creature stopped.
Not by force.
Not by impact.
But as if something had denied its existence.
For a brief second—
Everything went silent.
Then—
The creature vanished.
Gone.
No remains.
No trace.
Nothing.
Eleven stared at his hand.
"…What… was that?"
His voice was barely above a whisper.
The mountain responded.
A stronger pulse this time.
Deep within its core, one of the sealed chakra points reacted violently.
Not awakening.
But resisting.
As if it recognized something it should not.
Susai turned sharply.
She had seen it.
"…That wasn't an element."
Her voice carried a rare hint of tension.
"That was…"
She stopped.
Because she knew what it was.
But she did not say it.
More creatures closed in.
But this time—
They hesitated.
Their movements slowed.
Their focus shifted.
Not toward the mountain.
Toward Eleven.
As if they had been given a new command.
"Stay close," Susai said.
This time—
There was no calm in her voice.
Only urgency.
The ground beneath them cracked.
A deeper presence approached.
Something stronger.
From within the approaching mass—
A larger creature emerged.
Its form was more stable.
More defined.
Levelled.
Not like the others.
It stepped forward.
The air grew heavier.
This one—
Was different.
It did not rush.
It observed.
Then—
It attacked.
In an instant—
It was in front of Eleven.
Too fast.
Too sudden.
Even Susai was a moment too late.
The creature's strike came down.
Direct.
Unavoidable.
Then—
Everything stopped.
Not by her.
Not by force.
But by him.
Eleven's eyes had changed.
Not glowing.
Not burning.
Empty.
Completely empty.
The creature's arm—
Hung in the air.
Frozen.
Then—
Slowly—
It began to disappear.
Not break.
Not fade.
Disappear.
Piece by piece.
Until nothing remained.
Silence returned.
But it was no longer peaceful.
It was unstable.
Susai stared at him.
Not with shock.
But with certainty.
"…So it's true."
Eleven looked at her.
"…What is?"
A pause.
Then—
She spoke.
"You're not just connected to him."
Her voice lowered.
"…You are the reason they're coming."
Far above—
For the first time—
God Aurora's expression changed.
"…He's activating earlier than expected."
God Galaxy stepped forward.
"We should end this now."
But God Infinity raised his hand.
"No."
A brief silence.
"…Not yet."
Back at the mountain—
The creatures stopped advancing.
Not retreating.
Not attacking.
Waiting.
As if something greater had taken control.
Eleven stood still.
His hand slowly lowering.
His breathing uneven.
"…I don't understand…"
The world around him felt distant.
Unreal.
As if he did not belong inside it.
Susai stepped closer.
For a moment—
She hesitated.
Then—
She placed her hand on his head.
"…You don't need to."
Her voice softened.
"Not yet."
The mountain pulsed once more.
Stronger than before.
This time—
The reaction spread.
Not just one chakra.
All seven.
Faint.
But awake.
And far above—
For the first time—
God Infinity narrowed his gaze.