Chapter 77 — The Man Who Watched
The stranger stood at the end of the corridor.
Brook didn't move.
Neither did he.
For several seconds, the only sound was the facility groaning around them.
Brook's sword remained raised.
"You watched us."
The man's expression didn't change.
"Yes."
"Since when?"
The man smiled.
"Longer than you could imagine."
Brook's grip tightened.
"Who are you?"
The man looked past Brook.
Toward the broken chamber where B-00 had been.
Then back at him.
"My name doesn't matter."
Brook almost laughed.
"That's getting annoying."
The man's smile widened.
"You sound different."
"Different from what?"
"From the boy I remember."
Brook's eyes narrowed.
"You knew me."
"I knew what they made."
Brook stepped forward.
"What did they make?"
The man didn't answer.
Brook's patience disappeared.
He teleported.
White light flashed.
He appeared directly in front of the man, sword already swinging.
The man moved.
Not fast.
Almost casually.
He caught Brook's wrist.
Brook's eyes widened.
The man twisted.
Brook was thrown into the wall.
The impact cracked the stone.
Brook dropped to one knee.
The man looked down at him.
"Still relying on instinct."
Brook stood slowly.
"I'm learning."
"Not quickly enough."
Brook disappeared.
The man turned.
Brook appeared behind him.
His sword stopped inches from the man's neck.
The man smiled.
"Better."
Brook swung.
The man ducked.
Brook's blade cut through the wall.
The man stepped backward.
Brook teleported again.
This time he appeared above him.
The man raised his hand.
A shockwave blasted Brook through the corridor.
Brook landed hard.
He rolled.
Stopped.
Breathing heavily.
Michael's voice echoed inside his head.
Control.
Brook wiped blood from his mouth.
"I am."
Then stop fighting his strength with yours.
Brook looked at the man.
Michael was right.
The man wasn't simply stronger.
He was reading Brook.
Anticipating him.
Brook lowered his sword.
The man tilted his head.
"Interesting."
Brook disappeared.
Not toward him.
He marked the wall behind the man.
Flash.
Brook appeared there.
The man turned too late.
Brook kicked him into the corridor.
He crashed through a metal door.
Brook followed.
The man stood.
For the first time, his expression had changed.
He looked impressed.
"You learned."
Brook raised his sword.
"I'm still learning."
The man laughed.
"That is precisely what makes you dangerous."
A tremor shook the facility.
Brook looked around.
"We don't have time for this."
The man nodded.
"Agreed."
Brook frowned.
"You agree?"
"I didn't come here to fight you."
"Then why are you here?"
The man looked toward the ruined chamber.
"Because B-00 woke."
Brook's expression hardened.
"Elias."
The man nodded.
"Yes."
"Where is he?"
The man's eyes narrowed.
"That depends."
"On what?"
"Whether he still remembers who he was."
Brook stared.
"What does that mean?"
The man didn't answer.
Instead, he walked toward the broken chamber.
Brook followed.
"What happened to Elias?"
"He was given a choice."
"What choice?"
"Forget."
Brook's expression changed.
"Or?"
The man looked at him.
"Remember."
Brook went silent.
"Which did he choose?"
The man smiled.
"You tell me."
Brook's jaw tightened.
"Why does everyone keep talking in riddles?"
"Because direct answers are dangerous."
Brook shook his head.
"Convenient."
The man stopped.
He turned toward Brook.
"You believe you're searching for the truth."
Brook nodded.
"You aren't."
The man's expression became serious.
"You're searching for the version of the truth that allows you to remain Brook."
Brook didn't respond.
The words hit harder than he expected.
Above them, Henry and the others worked through the collapsing corridor.
Henry called out:
"Brook!"
No response.
Kael punched through a fallen section of wall.
"We need another way down."
Sera looked at the strange markings covering the floor.
"Wait."
Crowley stopped.
"What?"
She pointed.
"The markings are changing."
The symbols slowly moved.
They formed a pattern.
A circle.
Then another.
Then another.
Crowley stared.
His expression became colder.
"I've seen this before."
Henry looked at him.
"Where?"
Crowley didn't answer.
Kael frowned.
"Crowley."
He finally spoke.
"Hell."
The word silenced everyone.
Henry looked toward the darkness.
"So Hell is connected to this place?"
"Not exactly."
Crowley crouched beside the markings.
"This is older."
"Older than Hell?"
Crowley stood.
"Much."
Elias remained silent.
Too silent.
Henry looked at him.
"You know what this is."
Elias shook his head.
"No."
Crowley looked at him.
"You do."
Elias met his eyes.
For a moment, the two stared at each other.
Then Crowley stepped closer.
"You've been acting strangely since we returned."
Elias's expression hardened.
"So have you."
Kael looked between them.
"Okay…"
Henry stepped between them.
"Not now."
Crowley didn't move.
Elias finally looked away.
"We need Brook."
Crowley watched him carefully.
"Yes."
Brook followed the stranger deeper into the facility.
They entered a massive chamber.
Unlike the others, this room wasn't white.
It was black.
The walls were covered in strange markings.
Brook recognized some.
Michael's symbol.
Lucifer's.
Death's.
But there were others.
Symbols he didn't recognize.
He looked around.
"These aren't just Source markings."
The stranger nodded.
"Good."
Brook looked at him.
"Then what are they?"
"Records."
"Of what?"
"Every attempt to create a vessel."
Brook stopped.
"How many?"
The man didn't answer.
Brook looked at the walls.
There were hundreds.
Maybe thousands.
Names.
Numbers.
Dates.
Most had been crossed out.
Brook's stomach turned.
"How many people died?"
The man looked at the wall.
"Enough."
Brook turned toward him.
"You're one of them."
The man smiled.
"No."
"Then what are you?"
The man walked toward the center of the chamber.
"I was the one who watched."
Brook frowned.
"Watched what?"
"Everything."
The man looked at him.
"B-00."
"B-01."
"Every failure."
"Every death."
"Every time they started again."
Brook's face hardened.
"You were there."
"Yes."
"And you did nothing."
The man's smile disappeared.
"I was ordered not to."
Brook stepped toward him.
"By who?"
The man didn't answer.
Brook stared.
"Who ordered you?"
The stranger looked toward the ceiling.
Then quietly said:
"Someone you aren't ready to meet."
Brook's hand began glowing.
The man immediately raised his hand.
"Don't."
Brook stopped.
"Why?"
"Because Michael doesn't want you using that power here."
Brook froze.
"How do you know Michael?"
The man looked at him.
"I knew him before you ever carried him."
Brook's breathing slowed.
The first Source reacted.
Michael appeared within his mind.
The white world.
Michael stood silently.
Brook looked at him.
"Who is he?"
Michael didn't answer.
"Michael."
Nothing.
Brook's anger grew.
"You know him."
Michael finally spoke.
Yes.
Brook stared.
"Who is he?"
Michael looked toward the darkness behind Brook.
A witness.
Brook frowned.
"To what?"
Michael's expression became distant.
Your beginning.
The vision disappeared.
Brook opened his eyes.
The stranger was still standing before him.
Brook's voice was quiet.
"Michael called you a witness."
The man's expression changed.
"Then he still remembers."
Brook stepped closer.
"Remembers what?"
The man looked at him.
"Us."
A sudden explosion rocked the chamber.
The stranger looked upward.
"They've arrived."
Brook immediately turned.
"Who?"
The ceiling cracked.
A massive black blade pierced through.
The stranger's expression became serious.
"Too soon."
The ceiling exploded.
Something dropped into the chamber.
Brook jumped backward.
The creature stood nearly twice his height.
Black armor.
Burning red eyes.
A massive sword.
The same symbol from the underground emblem covered its chest.
Brook raised his weapon.
"Asmodaos?"
The creature laughed.
"No."
Brook froze.
It wasn't Asmodaos.
Its armor was different.
Its presence was colder.
The stranger whispered:
"His executioner."
Brook stared.
The creature raised its sword.
"Bring me B-01."
Brook stepped forward.
"No."
The creature charged.
Brook teleported.
The sword slammed into the ground.
Brook appeared behind it.
Strike.
The creature turned.
Blocked.
Brook teleported again.
Strike.
Blocked.
Again.
Blocked.
The creature was learning his movement.
Brook landed.
Michael's voice whispered.
Control.
Brook breathed.
The creature charged.
Brook waited.
At the last second—
Flash.
He disappeared.
The creature's sword missed.
Brook appeared beside it.
He struck its knee.
The armor cracked.
The creature staggered.
Brook followed with another strike.
The crack widened.
The creature roared.
Brook smiled.
"Got you."
The creature grabbed him.
Brook's eyes widened.
It slammed him into the floor.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Brook coughed blood.
The creature raised its sword.
Brook's hand glowed.
White energy surged.
Michael's power.
Brook could unleash it.
He could destroy the creature.
But Michael's voice came again.
Control.
Brook closed his eyes.
He stopped.
The creature's sword descended.
Brook marked the ground beneath it.
Flash.
He teleported away.
The sword shattered the floor.
Brook appeared across the room.
He looked at his hand.
The white glow faded.
He smiled.
"I didn't need it."
Michael said nothing.
But Brook felt the approval.
The creature turned toward the stranger.
"Move."
The stranger didn't.
"You know I can't."
"Then die."
The creature charged.
Brook moved between them.
The creature stopped.
Brook raised his sword.
"You're not touching him."
The stranger looked at Brook.
"Why protect me?"
Brook didn't look back.
"Because you're the only person who's actually answered one of my questions."
The stranger smiled.
"You're becoming interesting."
Brook glanced back.
"Don't make me regret it."
The creature roared.
Brook and the stranger stood together.
For the first time, Brook realized something.
This wasn't an enemy he could simply overpower.
This was a fight he had to think through.
And somewhere above them…
Elias stood in the darkness.
Watching.
He had found another route through the facility.
He looked down at Brook.
Then at the stranger.
His expression changed.
"You're still alive."
The stranger looked upward.
Their eyes met.
Elias froze.
The stranger smiled.
Elias whispered:
"Impossible."
Then he turned and disappeared into the darkness.
Brook never saw him.
He only heard footsteps fading away.
He looked toward the sound.
"Elias?"
Nothing.
The stranger's expression became unreadable.
Brook looked at him.
"You know where he is."
The stranger remained silent.
Brook tightened his grip.
"Tell me."
The man finally looked at him.
"He was here."
Brook's eyes narrowed.
"How long ago?"
The man answered:
"Long enough."
Brook stared into the darkness.
The footsteps were gone.
But the feeling remained.
Elias had been close.
Very close.
And he had chosen not to come out.
End of Chapter 77