Earth,
Dendadarlands,
Isolated Realm.
Tai stood before twenty massive pillars, and upon each pillar sat an Immortalus Society Authority member.
The atmosphere itself felt tense.
[Tai]: Is the team eliminated?
[Haimono]: Regarding that, we have no certain information yet. However, the bracelets given to them are still active and transmitting signals. Not even a full day has passed since we sent them off.
{ NOTE: ONE WEEK IN DRAGON EMPIRE IS EQUIVALENT TO ONE DAY ON EARTH }
[Tai]: Hmmm… in that case, I shall remain patient. What about the Leader, Krishna?
Hearing Krishna's name, Haimono made a bitter face.
[Haimono]: He is not a major threat in this particular matter. He is cautious and cunning, yes, but he possesses a weakness called laziness. He would never suspect us of joining hands with you.
[Tai]: That sounds convenient… however, I have no interest in your internal affairs. Tell me about his techniques instead.
The other Authority members grew slightly tense after sensing the faint frustration in Tai's aura.
[Haimono]: To be honest, even we do not fully understand them. He has never needed to use his strongest technique. Though… we do know about his second-strongest one.
[Tai]: Second-strongest technique?
[Haimono]: Yes. It is an invisible defensive mechanism that protects him from physical and even spiritual attacks under certain special conditions.
Far away in the Monster Realm, Kae watched the entire scene unfold on a massive screen while sitting upon his throne.
The screen showed everything through Tai's eyes.
Kae, who had been smiling until now, showed a slight trace of curiosity.
[Kae, in his mind]: Oh… so they speak of the Yeta Shield Defensive Mechanism.
[Kae]: Tai, ask them more about this mysterious defense.
Tai followed Kae's order immediately.
[Tai]: Tell me more…
[Haimono]: Of course. This technique is not possessed by all Leaders among the two hundred Sorcery Societies. Only a select few can use it. Those include Krishna, Arun, Tego, Treta, Kajal, Sunita, Gatu, Aaru, ten other Society Leaders… and the creator of the technique himself — Legendary General Gomo Taka.
[Kae, in his mind]: I see… so Sir Gomo still walks this world. That is pleasant news.
[Kae]: Ask them how it functions.
The command traveled from Kae's throne in the Monster Realm to Tai inside the isolated realm on Earth.
[Tai]: How does it work?
[Haimono]: As far as we know, it functions through alternating conversions of Dark Energy Reserves. The reserves are transformed into two different natures and made to surround the sorcerer's body. Any lethal attack is assumed to possess the same nature and is repelled. For physical attacks, the mechanism mostly depends on momentum. For magical attacks, it depends on range. No reality-altering attack below the five-hundred-universe level can bypass it.
Conceptually, it can even deflect a punch carrying infinite momentum.
He paused briefly before continuing.
[Haimono]: However, if it collides with another high-speed Yeta Shield Defensive Mechanism, both will nullify each other and leave the users vulnerable. Another weakness, as I mentioned, is extremely high-scale reality alteration.
The technique consumes an enormous amount of Dark Energy Reserves to activate. Once activated, it does not stop automatically. Even deactivating it requires tremendous energy.
The other Authority members nodded as Haimono explained the details.
Kae observed everything with mild intrigue.
[Kae]: Ask them about the amount of Dark Energy Reserves Krishna possesses.
Tai carefully relayed the question.
[Tai]: What is the amount of Dark Energy Reserves Leader Krishna possesses?
[Haimono]: Th-That… perhaps is…
All Authority members looked uncertain.
[Haimono]: We attempted to measure his true Dark Energy Reserves when he was newly admitted as a student. However, the attempt failed. It was only the third time in the last two thousand years that such a thing happened.
[Tai]: Who were the first two?
Tai asked out of curiosity.
[Haimono]: The second was Arun. He was identified as a student sorcerer just one week before Krishna, back in 1985.
Haimono sighed before continuing.
[Haimono]: The first, however, was two thousand years ago. He left the society for unknown reasons. He was one of Legendary General Gomo Taka's students. His potential was monstrous. Had he become a Leader at that time, he might have become an even greater threat than Krishna himself.
Pause.
[Haimono]: His name… what was it again… Since he ran away, we branded him a coward in history from that very day.
Pause.
[Haimono]: Ah, yes. Kae. The human named Kae — the one who possessed the potential to become a Leader-class sorcerer at the age of fifty, yet abandoned the society two thousand years ago.
He must be dead by now. Just another victim crushed beneath our schemes. Poor soul.
Haimono mocked him with fake sympathy.
Some Authority members giggled.
Others openly laughed.
Tai felt conflicted.
Who… are they talking about? Is Lord Kae truly that Ka—
[Kae]: Tai, return.
[Tai]: But my Lo—
Suddenly, the isolated realm shattered.
Two figures entered the scene.
Krishna and Arun.
[Arun]: That monster is bad news, Krishna.
[Krishna]: Yes. I can sense it as well. In terms of power, he may already stand at Master Class Elite level.
The moment Tai saw those two, he teleported away without hesitation.
There was no possibility of defeating two Leader-class sorcerers — especially Krishna and Arun.
Back in the Monster Realm, Kae continued smiling while watching everything unfold before him.
Once Tai's trigger teleportation activated, the vision closed.
Kae let out a quiet sigh and leaned back into his throne as Tai returned to the Monster Realm.
On Earth, the Immortalus Society Authority members felt chills crawl down their spines upon seeing Krishna and Arun.
Naturally, Krishna and Arun could not have heard their conversation due to the isolated realm. Yet the killing intent they emitted alone felt suffocating.
[Krishna]: Looks like we arrived late. Let's leave.
Krishna turned away, and Arun followed him.
The already fractured realm collapsed entirely from the chain impact, throwing all Authority members back into their meeting mansion.
[Haimono]: That was a close call.
[Authority Member 1]: Yes… for a moment, I truly believed we were finished.
Meanwhile, Krishna and Arun teleported to the Leader Office, where Krishna calmly took his seat.
[Arun]: Was sparing them truly the right choice?
[Krishna]: Perhaps not. But we still lack evidence proving they are cooperating with monsters. If we confronted them now, they would simply claim they were being manipulated through some mysterious technique.
[Arun]: Yet there was no disruption in their energy signals.
[Krishna]: A valid point. However, if the enemy is intelligent, he would never leave behind such traces.
[Arun]: Then how shall we proceed?
[Krishna]: This monster has complicated matters considerably. The Authority members will remain cautious from now onward, and we likely will not get another opportunity so easily.
Still… that may not be entirely bad. It will preserve peace for a little while longer.
He rested his chin against his hand.
[Krishna]: As for our next move… we shall ignore this matter for now. Our highest priority must be defense against those monsters.
[Arun]: I believe they are preparing for some kind of war.
[Krishna]: Indeed. We must begin treating this situation far more seriously.
[Arun]: By any chance… have they learned about your strongest Range Shiftling?
[Krishna]: Impossible. I concealed it carefully. Yet… if they have been observing us for a very long time, I cannot dismiss the possibility completely.
Krishna's gaze narrowed slightly.
[Krishna]: I wonder how Pratik's mission is progressing…