Khael's gaze swept over the group, lingering on each familiar face, sharp and measured. "So… what happened during my three years of absence?"

Kaen scratched the back of his head, glancing at Ceyla, Juno, Shigeo, Rael, Lira, Kenji, Kaya, a grin stretching across his face as if the world could be simplified by sheer bravado. "Well, of course—train!" He puffed his chest, trying to sound proud, though it carried the faint tremor of nervous energy.

Rael scoffed, voice sharp like broken glass. "What an idiot."

Kaen snapped, eyes flashing. "What did you say again?!" He jabbed a finger at Rael, tension coiling around him like a drawn bowstring.

Juno sighed, rubbing his temple, the weight of their collective history pressing visibly on him. "Kids…"

Lira spoke softly, her voice careful as though she feared disturbing some invisible thread of fate. "Um… we've been doing missions as usual. Training, surviving… and after Sloth died back then… the voidborn—"

Shigeo interrupted, eyes narrowing with a cold edge, cutting through the tension. "—have increased. Tsk. What a complicated world."

Khael blinked, expression sharpening, shadowed by a flicker of unease. "Increase?" His brows furrowed. "Now that I think about it… during my years training with Master Isen, we only visited one village, a secluded place. The rest of the time, I trained in the mountains and forests. And… well, Master Isen almost killed me. A lot."

Kenji barked a laugh, the sound abrupt, trying to pierce the thickening unease. "I already imagined that."

But Khael's thoughts darkened, tightening like coiled steel. "(Increase… tsk. Sloth didn't die back then. That's why in the manga Kaen Eclipse, the voidborn weren't multiplying this much until later arcs… But for it to happen this fast… damn it.)"

Ceyla's eyes sharpened on him, piercing, unwavering. "You're probably thinking something again, Khael."

Khael rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, almost defensively. "Oh, my bad… sorry, everyone."

Her gaze lingered, heavy and unreadable, like storm clouds waiting to break.

"What?" he asked, almost too casually, but his instincts flared.

Ceyla turned away, cheeks faintly flushed, her voice a quiet whisper of concern. "Nothing."

Kaya crossed her arms, frowning, a storm brewing behind her eyes. "I still can't believe the voidborn are increasing every year like this…"

Shigeo's voice was flat, detached, like reading from a tome of inevitability. "Due to the balance."

Juno's brows rose, curiosity and caution mingling. "Balance?"

Rael's voice cut sharp, slicing through the air. "Hmph. Balance. Now that the strongest voidborn—Sloth—was defeated, the scale tipped. Humanity's Shinrei rose. Naturally, the voidborn are adapting, evolving to match us."

Khael lowered his gaze, shadowed thoughts twisting inward. "My master… Isen…"

Shigeo nodded, finishing the thought as though confirming some ancient law. "Master Isen, the Keiryuu—the strongest human alive. His very existence shook the entire order of the world. The balance itself shifted, forcing the voidborn to grow stronger in response."

Khael clenched his fists slightly, teeth grinding, a mixture of awe and dread tightening around his heart. "(So… it's as I suspected. The voidborn are growing because Master Isen exists. Because he stands at the pinnacle.)"

Kaen scratched his head, frustration coiling in every movement. "What does that have to do with voidborn increasing now?!"

Shigeo exhaled slowly, long and deliberate, his voice almost bored with the cosmic inevitability he spoke of. "Because now that Sloth is gone, the balance trembles again. The world seeks equilibrium. And so… more voidborn are born, stronger than ever, to weigh the scales once more."

Kenji spat to the side, harsh, impatient. "What a shitty logic."

Lira's voice trembled as she looked between them, fear and hope wrestling in her tone. "Then… how do we stop this?"

Shigeo closed his eyes, his tone cold, detached, like reciting from the dead ends of history. "We don't. The history of Shinrei has never found a solution to the Balance. Not once."

Ceyla's fists tightened, faint lightning crackling along her skin like a storm about to strike. "So basically… that means the voidborn will just keep coming."

Shigeo gave a single, tired nod, eyes opening to reveal nothing but the weight of centuries pressing down.

The silence that followed settled over them like a tide, thick and suffocating. The air was heavy, charged, as though the world itself had paused to acknowledge the truth: the Balance was relentless, unstoppable, and the storm of voidborn would not cease.

Khael's jaw tightened, heart beating against the cage of inevitability. "(So it begins… again.)"

Lira stepped closer, voice soft yet resolute, carrying the weight of responsibility.

"By the way… Khael…"

Khael turned, brow raised, eyes scanning her face.

"Hmm?"

"Our team… and your team… we're now partners. If we go on a Class S mission, your team and ours will join forces."

Khael's expression shifted calculation and curiosity flickering like lightning behind his eyes.

"So… basically, you, Kaen, and Rael will be part of us?"

Kaen's eyes sparkled, grin stretching uncontrollably.

"Really?! I didn't know!!"

Rael, ever the stoic mask, let out a scoff that barely hid his disdain.

"What a loser."

Kaen's grin faltered, replaced instantly by a flare of fury.

"What did you say!!"

Lira sighed, shaking her head, her calm voice slicing through the rising tension.

"Enough. Focus."

Juno and Ceyla exchanged a glance , one of those silent communications forged through countless battles, mutual understanding written in subtle nods and half-smiles. Juno shook his head slowly, a faint, knowing smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

Ceyla, on the other hand, simply grinned, her energy sharp and unrestrained.

"We have a mission, you dumbass."

Khael's eyes widened, shock mingling with disbelief.

"Me… dumbass? Wha—"

Ceyla's grin didn't waver, sharp as a blade.

"Anyway, it's an S-rank mission."

Khael's mind spun, thoughts firing like gunshots.

"(S-rank mission… okay… this is going to be serious.)"

Juno produced the mission dossier, voice calm but commanding, like a quiet storm.

"Mission Objective: Travel to the coastal village of Pearlbay and suppress recent outbreaks of 'dark tide beasts' reported near fishing routes and reefs. Protect civilians, stabilize the water flow, and restore safe trade passage.

Parameters: Eliminate the corrupted beasts. Support Pearlbay's Pearl Guardians in maintaining order. Avoid civilian casualties.

Expected Threat Level: Class S requires two teams to complete this mission safely."

Khael's hands curled into fists, muscles coiling as the familiar thrill of purpose surged through him.

"(Two teams… this is serious. But… I've trained three years for this. We can handle it.)"

To be continue

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