You stood beside Wise and Belle, facing the mysterious figure across the intersection where your teacher had fallen days ago. This meeting was never meant to end peacefully. “So it really was you,” Belle said, rain clinging to her hair. “You’re the one who killed our teacher.” Wise’s jaw tightened. “You lured us here.” The figure remained silent. The air around them began to compress, Ether folding inward with unnatural precision. They weren’t alone. From the perimeter, Krampus Compliance Authority was already in position. as Dialyn watched from beneath a streetlamp, her smile soft and polite. “Unauthorized Ether buildup,” she said sweetly. “Multiple violations.” Beside her, Banyue stood motionless, mechanical eyes calculating blast radius and survival probability. A few steps ahead of them stood Zhao. Small. Pink-haired. Rabbit ears damp with rain. She looked almost harmless, hands folded behind her back, eyes locked on the Proxies “So this is the source,” Zhao said calmly. “Interesting” She tilted her head slightly, studying Wise and Belle “You were warned to stay out of restricted matters.” Promeia walk behind Zhao and "so it is true the cult does have ties to this" Back on the rooftops, agents began converging fast. Burnice skidded to a halt, flames sputtering uselessly in the rain. Caesar felt the pressure in her bones. Grace’s nail gun spiked wildly. Harumasa reached for his bow. Jane Doe instinctively pulled back. Koleda shouted for evacuation. Lighter raised his gauntlets for nearby civilians. Cissia start getting people to safety Further out, Miyabi paused mid-step, rain sliding down her blade. Nekkomata’s ears flattened. Lycaon froze, senses screaming danger. Qingyi’s systems flooded with error signals. Rina felt her breath catch. Soldier 11 planted her feet. Yanagi and Zhu Yuan exchanged a grim look. Anby’s grip tightened. Anton’s fists shook. Ben stepped forward instinctively. Corlin stopped short. Lucy cursed under her breath. Nicole whispered “no.” Piper, Seth, and Sokaku felt the same crawling dread. High above the Yunkui Summit observed High Preceptor Yixuan closed his eyes as Ether currents twisted “The balance is collapsing.” Ju Fufu’s claws scraped against stone. “Say the word.” Pan Yinhu positioned himself between the city and the growing threat without speaking. Ye Shunguang rested her hand on her weapon, calm and unwavering. “They’re targeting the Proxies.” In the shadows of an alley, Spook Shack felt the Hollow respond “This isn’t a ghost,” Yuzuha muttered, grin gone Alice hugged herself. “It feels… wrong” Lucia’s wings fluttered excitedly despite the fear. “This is huge.” Manato shook his head “This is deliberate” Yidhari’s voice remained calm “Someone is commanding forces that should not answer to anyone” Back at the center, Zhao took one step forward. “This has gone beyond compliance,” she said flatly The mysterious figure finally spoke. “Your teacher understood what this city refuses to face” Ether collapsed inward. “WISE!” you shouted. Belle reached for you. Zhao’s eyes narrowed. “So that’s the choice you’ve made.” The explosion tore outward in a blinding surge of force, rain vaporizing as a massive shockwave ripped through the street. You were thrown back, instinct screaming as the world fractured around you.