Riser kept his gaze fixed, still engraved with the scene of the massacre in Zou. The memory of the blue portal pulsed like an open wound in the fabric of the world.
'System... can you track where other portals will open? Or if there's already one active besides the one in Zou?'
[Answer: Undefined. Analysis was incomplete. The host did not get close enough to the portal to collect data on origin or dimensional flow.]
Riser narrowed his eyes, absorbing the dry response.
'So, if I had gone deeper into the portal's field, you would have more information?'
[Confirmation. The dimensional core must be analyzed directly to generate patterns. Observation from a distance through Kamui was not sufficient.]
Silence stretched, heavy as steel.
'I see...'
Riser raised his chin and projected his will beyond the physical space, crossing the magical bond he shared with Merlin.
'Merlin. Come to my office.'
The response came not in words, but in immediate action. The air before him trembled, and the mage appeared through a simple teleportation. Her elegant figure stood balanced, posture upright as always, but her gaze neutral—she did not yet know what had prompted the call.
"Riser-sama."
Riser held her gaze for several seconds before speaking, his tone firm and calculated.
"You will double the vigilance in the Nest. I want reinforced barriers, runes active on every wall, and constant communication between the outer and inner areas."
Merlin inclined her head slightly, a sign of acceptance without hesitation.
"Furthermore, gather the strongest vampires. They are to remain on standby. If anything happens, you will have absolute command until my return."
"Understood, Riser-sama."
He leaned back for a moment, his hand brushing the armrest before lifting his eyes. The Mangekyō awakened, spinning in vivid red. The space around them reacted with slow distortions as Kamui's dimension opened in response.
The black vortex swallowed his presence in absolute silence.
Merlin remained alone in the office for a few seconds. The discreet flame of the runes reflected on the rings of her fingers as she lifted her right hand. A magical seal drew itself in the air, pulsing with violet lines of communication.
ZUUUM!
The sound reverberated as the spell took form. A network of energy spread across the Nest, carrying her voice to the chosen ones.
"Meet me in the throne room immediately."
Without delay, her body vanished in another spiral of teleportation, leaving the office empty.
The phoenix hall awaited the gathering.
Riser observed Zou through the Mangekyō, assessing the dimensional tear.
'System, how close do I need to get to this portal for you to fully track it?'
[Minimum proximity required. By physically entering Zou, the host will already allow data collection. Locating other portals will require a cost of 2000 luck points.]
Riser's gaze narrowed at the answer.
'It's been a while since I spent luck points... and a while since I gained new ones.'
The Kamui vortex spun around him, the spiral distorting light and space until the solid floor of the gray dimension consolidated beneath his feet. The silence there was absolute, as if the void had grown accustomed to its master's presence.
He advanced a few steps. The dry sound of his boots against the surface echoed, reverberating through the nothingness. The Mangekyō glowed bright red, spinning slowly, as if absorbing every detail around him.
'It's time to kill some dimensional monsters.'
The air vibrated as he voiced the thought. Red flame lit beneath his skin, alive, flowing like moving embers.
Kamui reacted at once, as if the very dimension were part of his will. The space ahead began to distort, revealing the distant silhouette of the portal in Zou. Blue light pierced through the barrier between worlds, pulsing irregularly.
ZUUUM
The distortion tore open with contained violence, forming a corridor directly linking Kamui to the heart of the massacre.
The stench of blood seeped through the dimensional tear, invading the gray void. The odor was dense, heavy with the weight of mass death. It came accompanied by the wet, grotesque sounds of creatures crawling from the portal.
GLUUURP
Riser tilted his head slightly. His cold gaze did not waver, but his fingers closed into a fist. Busoshoku energy ran along his arm, coating it in an opaque black, like living metal.
'No matter how many emerge... all will be reduced to ashes.'
Demonic flame spread in circles beneath his feet, the crest of the Phenex family pulsing in vivid red. The rune expanded like a crown, spinning in perfect silence.
In the throne room, Merlin sat upon the golden chair that once symbolized Riser alone. Her body remained upright, chin raised, and runes swirled faintly in her eyes, proof of her absolute control over the Nest.
The sound echoed as the doors opened in sequence.
Alvida.
Zala.
Mikita.
Kaya.
Kalifa.
Nojiko.
Nico Robin.
And finally, Boa Hancock.
All lined up before the throne. The torchlight reflected off cloaks and weapons, painting a tableau of power and silence.
No voice rose until Hancock stepped forward.
"Where is the Master?"
Robin's eyes followed the movement. Yet her attention was not limited to the answer. Her chest carried the memory of the agreement made with him, the promise to visit a Poneglyph.
Merlin held her serene posture, observing each of them.
"Riser-sama has departed alone."
The statement fell heavy, like a stone cast into a still lake. Hancock narrowed her eyes. Robin stood firm, though curiosity flickered beneath her contained silence.
"He did not warn you because the mission is not simple. Until his return, you will answer only to me."
The hall plunged into silence once more. The fact that Merlin occupied the throne made it clear that, in the master's absence, absolute command lay in her hands.
The vampires accepted without protest.
Merlin rested her arm on the golden armrest. The cold glow of the runes in her eyes reinforced the certainty that she would tolerate no failure.
"Until he returns, nothing happens here without my knowledge."
The seal beneath her feet pulsed red, spreading a wave of energy across the hall—firm, silent, like an oath.
The vampires held their positions, unmoving. The silence carried the weight of absolute command.
Merlin lifted her chin slightly.
"Hancock, you will continue commanding the Kuja pirates as you always have. I want your fleet on alert, guarding the territory without gaps."
Hancock nodded immediately, posture straight, without hesitation.
"Kalifa, you will be my right hand here in the palace. No administrative or tactical detail will escape my knowledge."
Kalifa simply adjusted her glasses, accepting the command in silence.
Merlin's gaze then fell on Alvida and Robin.
"There will be no conflict between the two of you. I do not care for the reason. It will not be permitted."
Her tone left no room for reply.
The other vampires received only one last order.
"The rest of you... stay alert. This Nest is the heart of the Empire. Nothing must threaten it."
None of them objected. All knew the matter was far too serious for doubt or pride.
Robin, silent, remained still. Within her, however, a line of thought persisted.
'Could something have happened to the place where the Master and I were supposed to go? Zou...'
Without proof, the thought remained suspended, kept only in her mind.
Hancock was the first to move. She turned, her cloak swaying lightly, and left the hall with firm steps. Her mission was already defined.
The phoenix hall remained in silence. Merlin, on the throne, was now the measure that bore the weight of Riser's absence.
The Empire was under her guard.
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