Nobody dared to breathe.

The voice was soft.

And yet, the moment it sounded, it almost felt as though something was crawling at the back of their necks, inching closer and closer to their ears.

It was also at that moment that the 'clicking' returned.

Click!

The tension in the room reached an all-time high; every person was frozen in place, hardly daring to even look at each other, while the repetitive clicks of the keyboard echoed through the air like a ticking clock.

Click. Click... Click!

There was no time to even think.

It was like each click resounded with the beat of their own heart.

The creature that stood before them...

'Just what is it!?'

'H-how can something like this...!'

'I... I...'

Several covered their mouths, unable to calm their nerves as their legs shook under the sheer tension of the situation.

They were all elites.

At least, a major part of them were.

And yet—

'I can't breathe! I can't breathe! I can't breathe!'

'H-help...!'

As though they had been transported back in time to the times when they had just started, their entire bodies quivered under the rhythmic, yet tense presses of the keys.

Only a few were able to maintain their calm.

But even they... were struggling to do so.

'Kermite... This must be a Kermite.'

'I've only seen one before... but I don't know. I don't know. Why does this one feel even more terrifying? C-can we...?'

Doubt. Horror. Dread.

They were all feeling certain unspoken emotions.

Kermite's were rare. However, each time one appeared, the entire world would submit under its might.

At this very moment, they all realized the sheer terror that came with such a label.

Not even the Conductor could make them feel this way.

And soon—

Click!

The 'manager' paused once more.

As it did, its voice quietly whispered into the air.

"...It took you long to find this place."

Took long...?

It had been waiting for them?

Several started to tremble even harder. Of course, the more clearheaded ones understood that it had been the case. From the moment that they had entered the Gate, this 'anomaly' had likely been waiting for them to make their way towards it.

But was it really speaking to them?

Were they the ones that it had been waiting for?

The eyes of a single person in the room flickered.

Nevertheless, he remained quiet.

His calmness was noticed only by a single person, who stared at him with a pale face.

Could he...?

Click! Click!

The clicking continued.

This time, slower.

It was also at this moment that the voice whispered in the air once more.

"I expected this to be a lot less troublesome."

Scratch! Scratch!

A faint scratching sound echoed a moment later.

"...Nothing ever goes smoothly."

For a moment, everyone paused.

Nobody could recognize the voice, but it sounded...

"I have been doing a lot of overwork."

Annoyed.

"He's interfering, and yet they don't even see it."

Disappointed.

"Humans..."

The anomaly stopped, its voice growing thinner.

"...What fragile beings they are."

For some reason, the moment the last words left its mouth, the air in the room seemed to thin instantly, as if drained away, leaving several people gasping in silent panic. It wasn't just that they couldn't breathe anymore; something deeper, heavier, was pressing down on them.

It was now more like—

They were being choked.

Click!

"They can't see the enemy even when presented before their eyes."

Click! Click!

"They are careless. They don't think."

Click!

"They fear what scares them, but not what is truly scary."

Click!

"Humans..."

Click. Click!

"...They are useless."

Click!

Pressing the key again, the anomaly stopped.

Silence—

The entire room fell silent as it stopped speaking or typing.

But it was that silence that made everyone turn completely unsettled, their hearts stirring. What next? Was it going to move?

Was it going to...!?

'We need to act quickly!'

In that fleeting moment, the remaining Paragons stirred. They had been communicating with each other the entire time.

'I've detected its weakness.' Kai spoke through his mind, his expression grim as he fixed his attention towards a certain spot, his eyes narrowing the more he looked at it. 'I'm almost certain about my hypothesis. If we don't act soon, we won't have time to act later.'

'...You've detected it? How sure are you?'

'Yes, it's the computer. So long as we destroy the monitor, we should be able to clear the Gate!'

'Are you sure?'

'I'm certain. I have read it in several of the clues that I've found!'

Blinking his eyes, he shared several 'images' with them.

All Paragons were equipped with devices that could allow them to talk with each other once they reached a certain distance. These devices came in the form of lenses, allowing them to speak through their minds, preventing anyone else from hearing.

But was that truly the case...?

Could their thoughts really not be heard?

"Haa."

A single exhale.

It was just a single exhale, and yet...

Everyone could feel the disappointment laced in that one breath.

The Paragons stiffened.

For some inexplicable reason, it felt like it was directed at them.

That couldn't be, right...?

Surely...

"...They really are useless."

The word made the hearts of the Paragons sink.

In particular, Kai, as his head stiffly turned towards the creature sitting behind the desk, its features still obscured under the darkness of the room.

He couldn't see the creature standing behind the desk.

But he could feel it.

He could feel its gaze directed right at him.

"You can't even realize it when you're being played."

Tap.

Pressing his hand against the table, the expressions of the Paragons changed.

"——!"

"...Huek!"

"N-no!"

The devices they used to communicate shattered all at once, leaving them stunned.

T-this..

How did...

"It looks like it's time."

Without waiting for anyone to speak, the monitor before the 'boss' slowly started to move and turn.

Crrrr—

The movement was slow, but the sound was grating, each scrape tightening the air as the tension in the room climbed to an all-time high and every pair of eyes locked onto the glowing monitor.

Soon, the monitor turned, and everyone caught a glimpse of the screen.

A red dot.

That was the first thing that everyone caught a glimpse of.

It was moving quietly across the monitor, moving closer and closer to the area marked as [Zone 0].

Ba... Thump! Ba... Thump!

For some reason.

The closer the red dot moved to [Zone 0], the faster their hearts drummed.

None could really understand.

And yet, they could feel it.

The incoming dread as the air grew colder.

Still.

And soon, under the watch of everyone present, including the world, the red dot reached [Zone 0].

Time seemed to stop in that moment.

A voice followed,

"The devil has come."

***

At the same time.

The world was similarly holding its breath.

A livestream of the entire event had long been broadcast, and in that moment, all eyes were fixed on the 'boss' and the monitor.

—...The devil has come.

The voice was soft, but it reverberated across the entire world.

Households. Bars. Offices.

Not a single place didn't hear the spine-chilling voice as it spread through every corner of the world.

Online.

The comments were going crazy.

—What's going on? The devil? What's it talking about?

—Why aren't they doing anything? Why are they being so useless?

—Send more people! Holy fuck! What is this shit!?

—What are they doing!

—Quickly send someone!

—I've already transferred all of my assets away. I can't fucking watch this shit. My heart can't take it.

—Fuck!

Panic had long since settled across the minds of the citizens.

They all sat frozen, eyes glued to their screens, holding their breath as they waited to see what would unfold next.

At the Gate.

Several of the highest-ranking members of the Guilds were already standing outside.

"How long until we can go in?"

The Branch Leader checked his watch, trying his best to remain calm as the long arm of the watch rotated slowly.

"...There's still five minutes."

Despite his calm appearance, his back was entirely drenched in sweat.

He, too, was watching the stream.

...And while none of the people watching could truly feel the dread coming from the 'anomaly' sitting behind the chair, he could feel it.

Everyone standing outside the Gate could feel it.

And soon—

RUMBLE! RUMBLE!

The Gate shook, startling everyone.

"Careful!"

"Be careful!!"

The ground cracked, and the entire island shuddered beneath the impact. Several people stumbled, losing their footing, while only the remaining Paragons and Guild Masters managed to stay standing amid the chaos.

RUMBLE!

It was as if a high-magnitude earthquake had taken over.

But everyone knew it wasn't the case.

"It's starting..."

The branch leader muttered under his breath, his lips trembling as his wide, unblinking eyes remained fixed on the Gate looming before him.

"...The climax."

He licked his lips, which had long gone dry.

"The true nature of the Gate is being revealed."

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