They rose from the dark like forgotten memories.
Three guardians of Nightfell.
Each shaped from the shadow of a fallen god—vessels, broken yet dangerous. One crawled with too many arms, stitched from bone and rope. Another hovered, its form liquid, eyes drifting like stars in a dying galaxy. The third stood tall and silent, its flesh a curtain of muttering mouths.
Kiro didn't wait.
He launched forward.
[Blood Core Sync: 67%][System Technique: Thread Spiral – Upgraded to "Blood Helix Slash"][Status: Rage-Enhanced Clarity Achieved]
He carved a path through the first creature—dodging its bone-chained flails and slashing upward. Blood-thread laced his strike, and with a howl, the guardian shattered into salt and ash.
The second came from behind—phasing in and out of solidity. Kiro reached deep, forcing the System to channel more than it wanted to.
His veins lit up. His eyes burned red.
"Pierce it—hold!"
He punched forward. Blood condensed into a single filament—sharp, vibrating. It passed through the creature's core.
It exploded into a cloud of dead starlight.
Only one remained.
The third.
It did not move.
Instead, the muttering mouths opened all at once.
And spoke as one:
"You wear the corpse of a god. But your mind is still your own. Are you ready to bleed deeper?"
Kiro stood, blood smoking off his skin.
"Already am."
He rushed it.
And screamed as the mouths bit into his mind.
Not flesh. Not soul.
Memory.
Within the Fracture
Kiro stood in blackness, facing himself—barefoot, covered in dried blood, and behind him loomed an army of corpses.
A voice boomed.
Not the System.
Not the Naught.
"You walk the path of one who failed before. But your fracture is still incomplete."
A hand reached from behind the illusion—pulled him out.
Back to reality.
Back to pain.
Kiro awoke face-down. Breathing hard. The third guardian gone.
The Naught stood beside him now—unchained.
His hands glowing with geometric light.
"You survived," the alien said calmly.
"You are not complete. But you are ready to learn."
Kiro spat blood. "Learn what?"
The Naught's eyes darkened.
"The names of those who broke this universe."
He raised three fingers.
"Nox. The Dark Overlord. Ruler of Void Between Stars. He feeds on forgetting.""Kuni. The Blood God. What remains of a warrior who bled the sky. Your System is a fragment of him.""Neer. Lord of Flesh and Mind. Maker of puppets. Weaver of obedience. The architect of Kruger discipline."
Kiro's eyes narrowed.
"So... the Empire worships Neer?"
The Naught shook his head. "Not worships. Follows. Their Viora—his gift. Their order—his leash."
"And me?"
"You are none of them. But you will awaken one of them. Whether you want to or not."
Kiro stood slowly, blood steaming from his shoulders.
"Then I need to get stronger. Fast."
The Naught turned.
And for the first time, Kiro saw what stood behind the shrine:
A gate.
Black. Breathing. Pulsing like a wound in the world.
"Then enter," the Naught said. "Your real trial begins beyond."