Each chamber neared its climax.
And inside Ren's chamber… something finally stirred.
A faint hiss escaped from the sealed case. Steam rolled across the cold floor as the lid slowly shifted open. From the narrow gap, a single pale hand slid out—thin, delicate, almost fragile.
Ren's eyes widened.
Then the figure stepped out.
Long silver-black hair cascaded down like silk. Pale lips. Long eyelashes. A slender, graceful figure emerging as if waking from a deep slumber.
"A… a girl?!" Ren blurted out, heartbeat jumping.
The steam thinned. The figure stretched lazily, joints cracking softly after what felt like ages.
A gentle sigh escaped.
But—
The voice wasn't a girl's.
It was a man's voice.
Deep. Calm. Almost bored.
The figure blinked once, noticing the giant creature in front of him raising a massive metal club.
"Ohh? Would you look at that. Isn't this Chimera?" he said casually.
"So you're the one inside that suitcase… Night, the deserter," Chimera rumbled.
"W-wait—why does the girl sound like a boy?!" Ren stuttered.
Night slowly turned, eyebrow twitching.
"What?! I'm a girl? Do I look like a girl to you, brat?" he snapped.
Ren gulped. "S-sorry…"
Night ignored him and looked back at Chimera.
"Well, whatever. But it seems that Ayato was telling the truth this time."
His expression darkened instantly.
"…A deserter? Me?" His voice dropped ice-cold. "You abandoned me, you traitors."
Dark steam leaked from Night's body, rising like living shadows.
Trigger Activated: SHROUDED
A sea of black clouds exploded outward—filling the chamber, swallowing everything, and stretching toward the other rooms.
---
Meanwhile, in Yū's chamber—
"Damn it…" Yū grunted, down on one knee.
Why does this guy keep regenerating?!
"What's wrong, boy?" Ogre mocked. "Is this all you've got?"
"Tch… annoying," Yū muttered under his breath.
"Well then… I guess playtime is over—"
The Ogre paused.
A strange sound echoed through the chamber.
Then the walls shook.
Black clouds poured inside, swallowing the floor and creeping up the walls.
"This… this essence—" Ogre remembered someone.
"What the—? Where did this come from?!" Yū thought, eyes narrowing.
Wait… isn't this my chance? Yū thought.
---
In Kaito's chamber—
"Tch!! What the hell happened to this student?" the metal man growled.
CLANG! CLANG!
Metal struck metal as Kaito's bat clashed with the shifting metallic body.
"He's becoming unpredictable all of a sudden—!" the metal man thought, right before Kaito's bat cracked into his stomach, sending him flying.
"Not bad, student," he said, grinning. "This might actually be fun. I guess I should get a little serious—"
A thunderous CRASH cut him off.
The wall burst open as black smoke flooded the chamber, drowning everything in darkness.
"Hoho… what good luck," the metal man chuckled.
Kaito staggered back. "What—?!"
The dark cloud swallowed his voice.
---
In Ayato's chamber—
As Ayato and Troll clashed violently, Shimei stared at the monitors.
His eyes widened.
"Why did the screens blackout…? They're on, but they look off."
A call came in. He answered instantly.
A woman's warm voice spoke urgently:
"Yuto, the chambers… something's wrong. They're being filled with black clouds."
"Black clouds?!" Shimei stood sharply.
"So the guy Ayato mentioned… that was Night?"
"You need to get out of there," Shimei replied.
"What about the kid?" she asked.
Shimei narrowed his eyes. "You can leave the girl there."
The woman hesitated. "I'm not leaving her."
Shimei sighed. "Fine. I'll go there myself."
He turned to leave.
Ayato, still holding off Troll, shouted, "Oi! You're running away?!"
Shimei glanced back. "I have things to do. If you can't even handle Troll, then I guess our deal is off."
He left without hesitation.
"Why is that guy leaving already?" Ayato thought.
I need to finish this quick, Ayato thought.
Then—the black cloud also reached the chamber where Ayato was.
"This essence!?... Ahh, I see, so he finally came out?" Yū grinned mischievously.
---
Back to Ren—
The black clouds swirled violently around them, filling every corner of the chamber. Ren covered his face with his arms, coughing, barely able to see.
Night, however, stood completely still—calm, as if the darkness belonged to him.
His eyes drifted toward the far wall.
Not at Ren.
Not at Chimera.
But… somewhere beyond it.
His expression shifted—just slightly.
Recognition.
"So… you're really here," Night whispered, voice low enough that Ren almost didn't hear it.
He took one step forward—
—and stopped.
A giant metal club slammed down in front of him, blocking his path like a barrier.
Chimera's booming voice echoed:
"Where do you think you're going, deserter?"
Night's gaze hardened, the shadows around him pulsing.
"Tch… don't get in my way."
Ren swallowed hard.
Who… who was Night talking about?
And why did Chimera suddenly sound angry?
The dark cloud thickened again—
—and the chamber vanished into pitch black.
Then Night clicked his tongue, staring at the massive metal club inches from his face.
"Oh? You plan to stop me with that?" he said, bored.
Chimera grinned, towering over him.
"You're not leaving this chamber, deserter."
Before Ren could blink, Chimera swung the club sideways—
BOOM!
Night didn't dodge.
He simply raised his arm.
The impact blasted a shockwave across the chamber, sending Ren tumbling backward. But Night stood there, one hand casually pressed against the massive club.
"Your strength…" Night muttered, pushing the weapon aside with a single motion, "is still as underwhelming as ever."
Chimera roared, metal shifting across his body.
"You arrogant little—!"
He lunged forward, metal plates grinding as extra limbs sprouted from his back—spiked arms, claws, and blades, all slashing at Night in a chaotic storm.
Ren couldn't even see them.
They moved too fast.
But Night?
Night walked through them.
Each blade passed through him like cutting smoke. He didn't even turn his head.
Chimera's eyes widened. "Tch—your Trigger… you're already using it at full power?!"
Night finally looked up.
"No. This is nothing."
Dark clouds gathered around his feet, rising like living shadows. His form blurred.
Then—
CRACK!
He vanished.
A heartbeat later, Chimera was smashed into the wall, his armored chest dented inward.
Ren gasped. He didn't even see Night move.
Night stepped out of the shadows behind him, brushing dust off his sleeves.
"You should've stayed asleep, Chimera."
Chimera forced himself up, growling. "Don't act like you're untouchable!"
He slammed both hands on the ground.
Metal surged beneath Night's feet—spikes, chains, traps—rising all at once.
Night didn't flinch.
The shadows around him pulsed—
—and the metal shattered.
Chimera froze.
Night tilted his head, eyes narrowing slightly toward the far wall.
"That presence…" he whispered. "So your here too."
He stepped forward—
But Chimera hurled his club again, screaming:
"You're not going anywhere!!"
Night sighed.
"Fine. I'll play for a minute."
Shadows coiled around his arms as he raised his hand—
the entire chamber trembling—
And then everything vanished into pitch-black fog.
The darkness peeled away just as quickly as it had swallowed the room.
Night stood over Chimera, who was barely holding himself together—his armor cracked, metal limbs broken, breath ragged.
With one final strike, Night drove his knee into Chimera's stomach—
SLAM!
Chimera collapsed.
The metal covering his body flickered…
shattered…
and the big flesh like body dissolved.
When the smoke cleared, a small boy lay on the ground—Chimera's true form—confused, shaking, and terrified.
"H-Huh…?" he whispered. "What… what happened? Why am I… small…?"
Night raised his shadow like blade.
"Pathetic. You're easier to deal with like this."
He stepped toward the boy.
But before the blade could fall—
"Wait! Stop!" Ren's voice rang out.
Ren rushed in front of the trembling child, arms spread wide.
Night's eye twitched. "Move."
"No," Ren said firmly. "He doesn't even remember what he did. He's not a threat anymore."
"He's dangerous," Night snapped. "You saw what he turned into."
"Maybe," Ren replied, "but he's not your target."
Night fell silent.
The shadows around him slowly settled.
Finally, he lowered the blade.
"Tch. Fine."
He turned away. "Do whatever you want with him. He's not worth killing."
Night took a few steps, eyes drifting once more to the far wall—toward that unseen presence.
"Wait for me..." he whispered under his breath.
Then he walked into the darkness, leaving Ren with the trembling child.
---End of Chapter 20---