Barbatos's unconscious body stood at the center of the chamber, suspended in an uneasy stillness that felt anything but safe. Around him, layers of power had been erected with meticulous precision, shadows coiling like living sentinels, ice forming crystalline barriers that creaked under their own tension, and arcs of lightning flickering unpredictably through the air, ready to strike at the slightest anomaly. Alexandria stood closest, her posture low and prepared, her gaze fixed entirely on Barbatos as if she alone could react fast enough should something go wrong. Not far from her, Callum and Artoria remained equally vigilant, their presence steady but far from relaxed, while the others formed a wider perimeter, each one ready to intervene without hesitation.
There was a reason for this overwhelming caution. This was not uncharted territory, not entirely. Something like this had happened before.
Years ago, a paragon of immense power had attempted the same feat, astral projection beyond the boundaries of the known cosmos in search of someone who had vanished. At the time, they had believed it to be safe. After all, an astral projection was merely the soul, detached from the physical body. There would be nothing for the spawn to consume, nothing tangible to corrupt. That assumption had proven catastrophically wrong.
Somewhere beyond the veil, something had found her.
A spawn unlike any they had ever encountered had seized her soul mid-journey, dragging it into corruption and reshaping it into something alien, something no longer bound to the laws of their universe. When her body returned, it was no longer hers. It was a vessel for something else entirely, a being that had once been human, now twisted into an entity that did not belong.
Since that day, astral projection had been classified as an absolute last resort. A forbidden technique, permitted only when the alternative was worse.
And now, they had crossed that line again.
A faint cracking sound pulled everyone's attention back to the present.
Thin fractures of light began to spread across Barbatos's olive skin, glowing faintly at first before intensifying, as though something within him was trying to break free. The cracks widened, branching like shattered glass across his arms and neck. His closed eye twitched.
Every muscle in the chamber tensed.
Then, suddenly, his finger moved.
It was a small motion, barely noticeable, but the effect was anything but.
A beam of pure light erupted from his fingertip, tearing through the chamber with devastating force and blasting out into the open sea beyond, splitting the waters apart as if they were nothing. The shockwave alone rattled the entire structure.
They reacted instantly.
In less than a heartbeat, three blades were pressed against Barbatos's neck.
One shimmered with radiant light, the weapon of the shining knight. Another carried the weight of legend itself, held by the vessel of Excalibur. The third radiated a grotesque hunger, its edge trembling with an unnatural appetite, the blade of the gluttonous abomination. Around them, Caesar's mech shifted into full combat configuration, its systems humming as weapons primed for immediate deployment. Tharion tore open the air itself, releasing stored attacks from past battles that hovered around him like a storm of suspended destruction, painting the sky in violent colors.
Levianthe coiled, hissing as a deep blue glow gathered within her maw, ready to unleash devastation at a moment's notice. Fe, newly arrived, raised a hand to his blindfold, fingers trembling slightly as he prepared to remove it, an act that would unleash something far beyond his control.
The chamber stood on the edge of annihilation.
And then,
Nothing happened.
Barbatos's eyes opened.
They were… normal.
Not corrupted. Not warped. Just distant, detached, as if he had yet to fully return to his own body. The cracks of light across his skin faded rapidly, sealing themselves as though they had never existed, his flesh knitting back together in perfect silence.
Callum was the first to speak, his voice sharp and direct.
"Are you corrupted?"
Barbatos didn't even acknowledge the blades at his throat. He lazily pinched the bridge of his nose, as if mildly inconvenienced, before answering in a low, tired voice.
"No. Not at all."
Despite the tension, the blades did not draw blood. They couldn't. Even pressed against his skin, they failed to pierce it.
His mind drifted for a moment, trying and failing to recall the face of the man he had just encountered. The memory slipped away like water through his fingers, leaving behind only a vague impression that irritated him more than he cared to admit.
Clicking his tongue in frustration, he turned his gaze toward Alexandria for a brief moment before shifting it toward Caesar. Without a word, he tossed something through the air.
A small object.
Caesar caught it with a raised brow.
"A USB?" he muttered, examining it. "How did you get this?"
Barbatos exhaled slowly, his voice echoing directly into Caesar's mind.
"Some guy gave it to me."
That was all the explanation he offered.
The tension began to ease as the blades withdrew, returning to their rightful owners, but before the moment could settle, Barbatos's body suddenly gave out. He dropped to one knee, his breathing turning erratic as his heart began to race uncontrollably.
Rikin stepped forward immediately, concern etched into his expression, while Alexandria crouched beside Barbatos, placing a hand against his chest, her brow furrowing.
"What the hell did you do?" she demanded.
Barbatos grimaced, his voice strained.
"I… don't know."
His words faltered as his strength failed him entirely, and he collapsed forward.
For a brief moment, panic rippled through the group, but it quickly gave way to cautious analysis. Callum checked his vitals, they were steady. Yuki assessed his temperature, which was normal as well. There were no signs of corruption, no indication of external interference.
And yet, he had lost consciousness.
The cause remained unknown.
For now.
With no immediate threat detected, the focus shifted.
Caesar moved without delay, opening his cybernetic arm as its artificial skin peeled back to reveal the intricate machinery beneath. He inserted the USB and began scanning its contents, lines of data flashing across his interface.
His expression changed almost instantly.
"What the hell…" he muttered under his breath.
Yuki stepped closer, her eyes narrowing as she observed his reaction.
"What is it?"
Caesar remained silent for several seconds, his gaze locked onto the data, before finally speaking, his tone tense.
"I found them. I know where the students are."
A pause.
"But there's a problem."
The others leaned in, their attention fully captured.
"The location exists completely outside our known perimeter, exactly as we suspected. But according to this data…" he hesitated briefly, "…only five paragons can enter. That includes me."
The weight of that statement settled heavily over the group.
"So here's how this works," Caesar continued. "I need about two hours to build a device capable of getting us there. In that time, you all decide who's coming. No more than five."
Without waiting for a response, he sealed his arm and turned, ascending into his mech's cockpit. Within seconds, the machine roared to life and shot into the sky, heading straight for the headquarters of the Rosemary Organization. Yuki followed without hesitation, clearly intending to be among those selected.
Three spots remained.
Silence fell over the remaining paragons.
Then, Artoria stepped forward, clearing her throat softly.
"I suppose… introductions are in order," she said, her voice calm but carrying unmistakable authority. "I don't believe most of you know who I am."
A few exchanged glances. Some recognized her instantly. Others did not.
Alexandria, now lifting Barbatos's unconscious body, let out a quiet sigh.
"Hey, Mom," she said casually, as if the situation were far less surreal than it truly was. "I've gotta get him checked out. Stay safe, alright?"
Before anyone could respond, she vanished.
Artoria watched her disappear, a small, genuine smile crossing her face before she turned back to the group.
"My name is Artoria Pendragon," she said, her posture straightening slightly. "And among those present… I believe I am currently the strongest."
A ripple of surprise passed through the crowd. Even those who had suspected it felt the weight of hearing it spoken aloud. She was a legend, one who stood on the threshold of something greater than even a paragon.
Then, unexpectedly, Fe spoke up, his tone light, almost playful.
"Does my taking off my blindfold count?"
The silence that followed was immediate and telling.
Most of them already knew the answer.
If he removed it, there would be no contest.
The discussion began soon after, voices rising and overlapping as strategies, strengths, and risks were weighed against one another. Every choice mattered. Every decision carried consequences.
Because somewhere beyond their reach, in a place that should not exist,
Children were waiting to be saved.