The moment Aizeno touched the Old King's Gate—
the underground capital stopped feeling real.
Space twisted violently outward from the point of contact. Walls stretched. Gravity folded. Entire sections of the station flickered between existence and absence as the final seal embedded within the gate began rotating.
A deep metallic roar echoed through the ruins.
Not mechanical.
Ancient.
Alive.
Hyung slammed another descending arm of the Watcher away and looked toward the gate.
"…He's opening it."
Caelum's expression darkened immediately.
"No," he corrected. "He's breaking the inheritance sequence."
The difference mattered.
A proper opening would stabilize the King's legacy.
A forced one could destroy everything inside the gate—including Null.
D U appeared beside Caelum in a warped flash of movement.
"So how do we stop him?"
Caelum looked at the glowing structure.
"We can't."
D U blinked.
"…That's not the answer I wanted."
"Only the heir can reject access now."
Inside the gate—
Null felt the entire pathway tremble beneath him.
The endless light around him fractured repeatedly, broken visions flickering at the edges of reality:
Cities collapsing.
The Door fully opening.
Aizeno standing before the throne.
Hyung dying.
D U disappearing into static darkness.
The King remained standing ahead of him, calm despite the instability.
"He's accelerating the process," the King said quietly.
Null tightened his grip on the black blade.
"Then I'll stop him."
"You misunderstand," the King replied.
The pathway cracked.
A massive fracture spread through the light itself.
"If the final seal breaks before synchronization completes…" the King continued, "…the gate will collapse into the Door."
Null froze.
"And everything inside it?"
The King met his gaze directly.
"Consumed."
Outside—
Aizeno's arm remained pressed against the gate while dark symbols spread rapidly across its surface.
Luxion watched silently nearby.
Adrax hovered above the battlefield, shadows tightening around the station like a closing cage.
The Watcher suddenly reacted violently.
"U N A U T H O R I Z E D A C C E S S."
Its colossal eye widened.
Thousands of black arms descended simultaneously toward Aizeno.
Luxion moved instantly.
Light exploded upward in layered constructs, intercepting the descending limbs. Entire sections of the station vaporized from the impact.
Hyung used the opening immediately.
He launched toward Aizeno at full speed.
"Get away from the gate!"
Gravity compressed around his blade as he struck downward—
—but Aizeno blocked casually with one hand.
The collision shattered the floor beneath them.
Hyung's eyes widened.
Aizeno barely moved.
"You've improved," Aizeno said calmly.
Then he pushed forward slightly.
BOOM.
Hyung was launched across the station, crashing through multiple support pillars.
D U cursed loudly.
"Okay, I'm officially tired of this guy."
He warped directly behind Aizeno, distorted energy spiraling around his fist.
His punch landed.
For the first time—
Aizeno shifted backward.
Just one step.
D U grinned despite the blood running down his arm.
"Still got it."
Aizeno looked at him quietly.
"You always were difficult to erase."
Then dark pressure erupted outward.
D U's expression changed instantly.
He crossed his arms—
Too late.
The shockwave smashed him into the station wall hard enough to crater the metal behind him.
Eris phased through collapsing debris and reappeared beside Hyung.
"We can't overpower him directly," she said.
Hyung wiped blood from his mouth.
"…I noticed."
Inside the gate—
the King suddenly stepped closer to Null.
"The final decision approaches."
Null frowned.
"What decision?"
The King raised one hand.
The endless light around them shifted again.
Now Null saw two futures.
In the first—
The gate opened fully.
Power surged into him completely.
The crown accepted him.
But behind him—
the world burned.
The Door consumed everything.
In the second—
The gate sealed forever.
The inheritance vanished.
The world survived longer.
But Aizeno won.
Null stared silently at both visions.
"There's no good outcome."
"No," the King agreed softly.
"There never was."
The pathway shook violently again.
Outside, the final seal rotated halfway open.
The Watcher screamed.
Aizeno's eyes sharpened.
Adrax finally moved lower toward the station.
Luxion's barriers intensified.
Everything was accelerating toward collapse.
The King looked at his son one last time.
"You wanted freedom," he said quietly. "Now you understand its cost."
Null's grip tightened around the black blade.
Then slowly—
his expression steadied.
Not fear.
Not despair.
Decision.
Outside the gate—
the spiral mark on the massive doors suddenly ignited completely.
Everyone froze.
A voice echoed through the underground capital.
"Heir authority recognized."
Aizeno's eyes widened slightly for the first time.
Then Null's voice followed.
Calm.
Clear.
Absolute.
"I choose my own outcome."
The gate exploded open.