The ballroom buzzed with energy. The announcement had split the gathering between disbelief and awe, but curiosity quickly won out. Discussions bloomed like firecrackers—noble circles forming, dissolving, and reforming again as wine poured freely and golden trays of rare delicacies passed between jeweled hands.

Marsai, ever the consummate host, watched from the mezzanine. Despite her inner turmoil, she had orchestrated a flawless event. Everything—down to the shifting ambiance of the string quartet—kept the nobles intoxicated by spectacle.

In the eye of the storm, Nioh stood calm, nursing a glass of crimson nectar as small knots of power players gathered and dispersed around him.

At last, the crowd parted just enough for two men to reach him—both older, broad-shouldered, cloaked in ceremonial armor etched with silver flames.

The Wardens.

"Your sister has been trying to reach you," one of them said. He gestured toward Akron, who still stood behind Nioh, hand protectively resting on his shoulder.

She didn't flinch. Her eyes locked on the wardens like a beast guarding its den.

Nioh smiled. "It's alright. I've got this."

With a reluctant nod, Akron turned, walking toward her sister Lithaa, who waited near the balcony's edge, a shadow cloaked in moonlight.

The moment she left, Warden Jubilee wasted no time.

"You know," he began quietly, "an heir cannot marry outside their fiefdom. It's forbidden by custom."

"I don't live by those rules," Nioh replied without hesitation. "They can't bind me."

Warden Cohen folded his arms. "By age, I'm a generation your elder. But by rank, we're equals. You, me, and Jubilee—we are the only three Marquis in Daewyth."

"I'm aware," Nioh said calmly. "Two years ago, you could've crushed me like an insect. Now I can say your names aloud without fear." He tilted his glass in salute. "Cousins Jubilee. Cohen."

The two men stiffened. Just slightly. Enough to reveal the truth behind Nioh's words.

"You're making a mistake," Jubilee warned. "The Hellscape is not just lawless—it's cursed. The hell energy corrodes everything. Even stepping into the zone unprotected will rot you from the inside out. It creates undead."

"Not just undead," Cohen added. "Warden-level horrors. And they don't sleep."

Nioh nodded. "Yes, I've read the reports. The Hellscape is a graveyard of titans. But I'm not walking in blind." He set his glass down, eyes gleaming. "I have an insurance policy."

"What kind of insurance could possibly—"

"Something even better than a warden," came a melodic voice from behind.

Aquila Aeros approached with Neil Rivers in tow, both carrying the easy confidence of those born into power.

"That's right," Neil said, smirking. "He's not bluffing."

"Outrageous," Jubilee snapped. "There's no such thing."

"Not until now," said Magnus Gold, who arrived just in time to make the circle complete. "A weapon that kills wardens. Ready to make its debut."

"Lies." Jubilee's voice was sharp. "A weapon like that would rewrite the balance of the entire fiefdom."

"Then come watch," Nioh said, stepping into the center of the group. His gaze swept across all of them. "Tomorrow, when the first gate of the Hellscape falls—I want you there. Witness it for yourself."

He leaned forward slightly, voice low and firm.

"It will be one for the books."

"If you would excuse me, I have a call to make," Nioh said curtly, already turning from the group. The party noise dimmed behind him as he stepped out of the grand hall into a quieter, dimly lit corridor. The echo of laughter and clinking glasses gave way to the soft hum of silence, broken only by the faint buzz of the crystal lighting overhead.

He tapped his wrist bracelet. The device blinked once, then connected.

A grainy image formed on the screen—a man's face, grim and sharp under the pale light. The faint shadows around his features gave him a ghostly appearance. His voice, when it came, was as dry as dust and carried a weight older than either of them wanted to acknowledge.

"I'll do it tomorrow," Nioh said without a greeting, his voice firm.

On the other side of the connection, the man's expression didn't change. He didn't need clarification. He understood what "it" meant.

"So," Grimmes said after a beat, "you've found the solution to the Warden-killing weapon?"

Nioh shook his head. "There is no such thing. Only a Warden can kill a Warden."

Grimmes' eyes narrowed slightly, just enough to betray a flicker of concern. "Then how do you plan to skip Core-Fusion?"

"Someone was gracious enough to offer me the solution. I've decided to take it."

Grimmes leaned back in his seat, the screen flickering slightly with movement. "You're gambling your life on a favor?"

"No," Nioh said, eyes hard. "I've already paid the price. Now I just need one piece of information."

"What is it?"

"The location of the Original."

There was a pause.

Then Grimmes' face twisted—not in surprise, but with something closer to discomfort. His gaze sharpened.

"How do you know about that?"

"Guesswork," Nioh answered. "And patterns. I don't have time for a full history lesson, but enough pieces fit."

Grimmes exhaled, the sound long and heavy.

"Do you know where the title Anomaly comes from? It means your origin is linked to otherworldly beings. Thousands of years ago, on the day of the Cataclysm, a few 'Seeds' arrived on this planet. They brought corruption. They triggered the evolution of our world. What history doesn't tell you is that some of the otherworldly beings came with them.

"My great-grandfather was one of them. Obsessed with collecting those seeds—obsessed with control. But even he couldn't conquer the one in the Hellscape.

"The 'Original'… is a Warden-class undead with over a thousand years of experience. You cannot kill it."

Nioh's voice didn't waver. "I have no intention of killing it."

Grimmes leaned forward, expression unreadable. "Then what will you do?"

"Eat it," Nioh replied, his tone cold, matter-of-fact.

There was a brief silence on the line. Even the static seemed to hush.

Grimmes didn't flinch, but the flicker in his eyes returned. This time, he didn't argue.

"…Thank you for the information," Nioh said. "I know where to start."

Grimmes gave a faint nod. His voice, quieter now, held no judgment—only a trace of finality.

"Don't die."

Nioh ended the call without a word. The bracelet's glow faded, leaving him standing alone in the corridor. The silence returned—but now, it felt heavier.

The next step had been chosen. There was no turning back.

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