Ren didn't move for a while after the screen disappeared.
The rooftop felt quieter than before.
Not peaceful.
Just… empty.
He looked at the sky again, expecting something to happen. Another crack. Another monster. Another sign that things were changing.
Nothing.
"…So that's it?" he muttered.
A glitch.
That word stayed in his head longer than it should have.
It didn't feel wrong.
That was the strange part.
It felt… accurate.
Ren let out a slow breath and stepped away from the edge of the rooftop.
"Guess I'll head back," he said to himself.
But just as he turned—
The air shifted.
This time, it wasn't subtle.
A sharp pressure spread across the area, like the atmosphere itself had suddenly become heavier. The ground beneath his feet creaked slightly, as if struggling to hold its shape.
Ren stopped.
"…Now this is new."
A thin line appeared in front of him.
Not in the sky.
Right in the middle of the rooftop.
A crack.
But smaller.
Darker.
And… controlled.
It didn't spread wildly like the usual breaches. It stayed in place, vibrating quietly, as if something on the other side was trying to force its way through.
Ren watched it closely.
For the first time in a long time—
He felt something.
Not fear.
Not excitement.
Just… interest.
The crack widened.
And from it—
A hand emerged.
Human.
Perfectly normal at first glance.
But something about it felt completely wrong.
The fingers were too still. Too precise. Like they were following a set of instructions instead of natural movement.
Then the rest of the body stepped through.
A man.
Wearing a clean black suit.
No injuries.
No distortion.
No monstrous appearance.
Just… normal.
He adjusted his sleeve calmly, as if stepping out of a door instead of tearing through reality.
Ren stared at him.
"…You don't look like a monster."
The man looked at him.
His eyes were completely empty.
Not emotionless.
Just… empty.
Like there was nothing behind them at all.
"I am not a monster," he said.
His voice was steady. Flat.
No tone. No variation.
"I am a correction."
Ren blinked once.
"…A correction?"
The man took a step forward.
The crack behind him sealed instantly, leaving no trace.
"You have been identified as an anomaly," he continued. "Your existence violates the Limit Framework."
Ren slipped his hands into his pockets again.
"Yeah, I heard something like that."
The man tilted his head slightly.
"Then you understand the situation."
"Not really," Ren replied.
A short pause.
Then—
The man moved.
No warning.
No buildup.
He was suddenly right in front of Ren.
A punch aimed directly at his chest.
Fast.
Precise.
Perfect.
Ren reacted instantly.
He caught it with one hand.
The impact didn't explode outward like usual attacks.
Instead—
The space around them cracked.
Thin fractures spread through the air, like glass under pressure.
Ren's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…That's different."
The man didn't respond.
He twisted his arm, forcing more power into the strike.
The cracks deepened.
For the first time—
Ren felt resistance.
Small.
Almost nothing.
But real.
His grip tightened slightly.
The cracks stopped spreading.
Then slowly…
They began to reverse.
The man stepped back instantly, creating distance between them.
He looked at his own hand for a moment.
Then back at Ren.
"Confirmed," he said.
"Threat level exceeds prediction."
Ren lowered his hand.
"…You're stronger than the others."
Not a compliment.
Just a fact.
The man nodded once.
"I am designed to be."
A faint distortion flickered around his body now, like hidden data trying to surface.
"I exist to remove errors."
Ren tilted his head slightly.
"Then why am I still here?"
For the first time—
The man paused.
Just for a fraction of a second.
Then he answered.
"Because you are not a simple error."
The air grew heavier again.
"You are a failure of the system itself."
Silence.
Ren looked at him carefully now.
Not bored.
Not distracted.
Focused.
"…So what happens now?"
The man took a step forward.
This time—
The ground cracked beneath his feet.
"We proceed to elimination."
A stronger pressure exploded outward from his body.
The surrounding space warped.
Even the sky above flickered unnaturally.
Ren felt it clearly now.
That resistance again.
Stronger this time.
A slow smile appeared on his face.
Very faint.
But real.
"…Finally," he said quietly.
The man disappeared.
And reappeared behind him.
Another strike—
Faster.
Sharper.
More precise.
Ren turned just in time—
And blocked it again.
But this time—
The impact pushed him back.
Just a few inches.
But it happened.
For the first time in a very long time—
Ren moved.
His eyes widened slightly.
Not in fear.
Not in shock.
Something else.
Something he hadn't felt in years.
"…This might actually be interesting."
Far above them—
The sky cracked again.
Not from the fight.
From something watching.
And somewhere deep within the system…
A new command was issued.
"If one is not enough… send more