Hinata took a slow breath before placing her foot on the first step.
The silence of the villa was nothing peaceful. It was… too clean. Too controlled. Every sound seemed absorbed before it could even truly exist. Even her footsteps, though light, echoed with a strange precision, as if the space itself were listening.
She descended the stairs without rushing.
Hand resting on the railing, gaze slightly lowered, she observed the details around her. The walls, perfectly smooth. The lights, neither too bright nor too dim. Everything was calibrated.
Perfectly.
Too perfectly.
Once at the bottom, her gaze lifted.
They were already there.
Seated around a large table, in a dining room as elegant as the rest of the residence, were Kert and Zerath… as well as Mo-Zus.
The latter sat at the head of the table, upright, relaxed, his hands resting one over the other. In front of him, an impeccably set arrangement. Nothing out of place. Nothing misaligned.
As if he had been waiting for a long time.
As if he knew exactly when she would arrive.
Without moving, he slightly turned his head toward her.
A calm smile stretched across his lips.
— Please… take a seat.
His voice was soft. Welcoming.
But something, in his tone, didn't really leave room for refusal.
Hinata paused.
Her eyes drifted toward Kert.
Slouched in his chair, one arm resting on the backrest, he had already started eating without the slightest embarrassment, as if all of this were perfectly normal. He looked up at her, gave an amused smile, then shrugged slightly.
Zerath, on the other hand, sat straight. Silent. He seemed to be observing the scene carefully, as if analyzing every detail. When he met Hinata's gaze, he gave her a slight nod.
Neither of them seemed worried.
Hinata hesitated for another second.
Then she stepped forward.
Her chair made a faint sound as it slid back, and she sat down without a word.
Silence lingered for a few moments.
Then Mo-Zus let out a soft breath.
— Good.
He gently clasped his hands together.
— Since you are all gathered… we might as well get straight to the point.
A brief silence.
— The next duel will take place in fourteen days, as announced.
His voice was steady, almost administrative.
— Until then, you are free to move within this residence. Food, rest, entertainment… everything is at your disposal.
Kert let out a small laugh.
— Seriously? This feels like a vacation.
He picked up a glass, twirling it between his fingers.
— If I'd known, I would've lost earlier.
Zerath gave a faint smile, saying nothing.
Mo-Zus slightly inclined his head.
— Let's say I like to offer… optimal conditions.
— Yeah, optimal for lowering our guard, more like.
Kert snickered, clearly amused by his own remark.
— I like it.
He stuck his fork into his plate with a casual motion.
— Beats the guys who just try to kill you without warning.
Zerath exhaled softly through his nose, like a restrained laugh.
— At least here, everything is clear.
Hinata, meanwhile, remained silent.
Her eyes moved from one to the other.
She wasn't eating.
She was observing.
Every gesture. Every word. Every breath.
Mo-Zus eventually turned his head slightly toward her.
His gaze settled directly on her face.
— Is there a problem, Hinata?
The question came naturally.
As if it were obvious.
Hinata raised her eyes slightly.
She held his gaze for a second.
Then gently shook her head.
— No… nothing.
A brief silence.
— I'm just like this.
Her voice was calm. Neutral.
Kert burst out laughing.
— Ah, I see the type.
He leaned back a bit more.
— Women around men always ruin the atmosphere a little.
He threw that out with a provocative smile, clearly expecting a reaction.
Hinata didn't respond.
Not a glance.
Not a movement.
Just silence.
Kert's smile lingered a second too long.
Then he looked away, picking up his glass as if nothing had happened.
Mo-Zus let out another breath.
Slower.
— Good…
He paused briefly.
His gaze slowly swept over the three fighters.
— If I brought you here, it wasn't only to discuss formalities.
A silence settled.
Heavier.
— There is something I must decide.
Kert raised an eyebrow.
Zerath slightly straightened his head.
Hinata remained still.
— Should I… grant you access to my training hall?
Silence fell instantly.
No sound at all.
Even the air seemed suspended.
Kert shrugged.
— Honestly? Do whatever you want.
He raised an eyebrow, a smirk forming.
— But if it's a training hall, I assume the point is for us to train, right?
Hinata spoke almost immediately after.
— Yes.
Her answer was simple. Direct.
— I intend to train before the day comes.
No hesitation.
Zerath slightly turned his head toward Mo-Zus.
— Why ask the question?
His gaze sharpened.
— What's special about this hall?
Mo-Zus remained silent for a moment.
Then—
a smile.
Faint.
Almost imperceptible.
He slowly rose from his chair.
The sound of wood against the floor echoed softly in the room.
— It may not be as dangerous as you imagine…
He took a few steps, calmly moving around the table.
— But…
He stopped.
Slightly turned his head.
— It all depends on the level at which you choose to enter.
Zerath frowned.
— The level?
Mo-Zus didn't answer right away.
He stared at the empty space in front of him for a moment.
Then continued:
— This hall… is mine.
Silence.
— I designed it to push my own limits.
His words were simple.
But their weight—
heavy.
— And yet…
He slightly turned his back to the three of them.
— There are, inside… creatures that even I cannot defeat.
The silence that followed was different.
Denser.
Kert stopped moving.
Zerath didn't even blink.
Hinata, meanwhile—
felt something.
Not fear.
Not yet.
But…
a dissonance.
Mo-Zus took a few more steps.
Then stopped near the exit.
— Good.
His voice returned to its original tone.
Calm. Controlled.
— That's all I wanted to know.
He placed a hand on the handle.
— A waiver will be sent to you to sign.
A slight pause.
— Just in case.
He opened the door.
Without turning back.
— Enjoy your evening.
Then he left.
The door closed softly behind him.
The silence remained.
Unmoving.
Kert was the first to react.
— …Okay.
He slowly set his glass down.
— So the guy invites us to his place, feeds us…
He looked up at the door.
— And casually tells us he has things he can't beat in his own hall?
A smile stretched across his lips.
— I love it.
Zerath didn't respond.
His gaze was lost in the void.
As if recalculating something.
Hinata, meanwhile, slowly lowered her eyes toward the table.
Her reflection faintly appeared on the glossy surface.
For a fraction of a second—
she felt like it was looking at her.
Before her.
Then everything returned to normal.
She gently closed her eyes.
A thought crossed her mind.
Silent.
Clear.
The duel…
had already begun.