Bakuzan stepped forward, his sword now resting against his shoulder.
— So... now that you've finished your demonstration of strength, are you finally going to listen to us?
Bivisu's icy gaze fell on him.
He did not respond.
His eyes remained as cold as a starless sky.
Then suddenly...
Bivisu slightly widened his eyes.
Around him, everyone noticed the same thing.
His right hand.
It was beginning to disappear.
Fine white particles were detaching from it like dust carried away by the wind.
For a few seconds, even Bivisu remained silent.
He slowly raised his arm in front of him.
Observed the fragments of his existence dissolving.
Bakuzan let out a sigh.
— This is exactly what we feared.
The warrior slightly lowered his weapon.
— You're only a fragment. Every time you use too much power, you accelerate your own erasure.
Silence fell again.
Even Ravena observed the phenomenon with a certain gravity.
— It's fortunate that we encountered this fragment before your true body.
She crossed her arms.
— Because if we had faced the complete Bivisu... this fight would have been far more complicated.
Neru simply nodded.
For once, he was not joking.
Bivisu still did not respond.
His attention remained fixed on his own hand.
As if he were observing something far more important than the Ineffables.
Hinata was also watching the scene.
She struggled to recognize the man she had spoken with all night.
The calm being.
The almost benevolent being.
And this cold presence now standing before them.
Yet it was the same person.
Or perhaps several facets of the same thing.
Sakolomeh finally turned his head toward her.
— Hinata.
The young woman raised her eyes.
— You must return to your body.
He lifted his gaze toward the horizon.
Already, the night was beginning to lose its intensity.
— Daybreak will arrive soon.
His voice softened.
— And for someone who was supposed to be resting... you have already done far too much tonight.
Hinata opened her mouth.
She wanted to say something.
Ask a question.
Perhaps thank Bivisu.
Perhaps understand more.
But Sakolomeh simply snapped his fingers.
And she disappeared.
The dream collapsed around her presence.
A few moments later, only the Ineffables and Bivisu remained.
Sakolomeh calmly crossed his arms behind his back.
— Good.
He looked at the fragment.
— I think you've already done enough for today.
Bivisu slowly raised his head.
— Do not think that because I am fading, I am incapable of confronting you further.
His voice remained cold.
Mechanical.
Almost ancient.
Neru shrugged.
— We weren't fighting seriously either.
A slight smile appeared on his face.
— Even though I admit you are ridiculously powerful.
He pointed to the arm that was gradually disappearing.
— And honestly, with your true body, you would probably be stronger than us.
The smile faded.
— But that's not the point.
Neru's gaze became more serious.
— We need you.
The wind passed silently through the forest.
— We need your strength.
— We need your knowledge.
— And above all...
He fixed his eyes on Bivisu.
— We need someone who knows the Outergods better than we do.
This time, Bivisu did not look away.
Salomeh then spoke.
— We have encountered Primordial Demon Emperors.
— We have spoken to certain Original Gods.
She paused.
— And all of them told us the same thing.
Bivisu slightly frowned.
— Oh really?
— And what exactly did they say?
Ravena answered without hesitation.
— That you would be of immense help.
The fragment remained motionless.
For the first time since the beginning of their encounter, genuine surprise crossed his gaze.
A subtle surprise.
Almost imperceptible.
But very real.
Sakolomeh then stepped forward.
— I think I understand what truly troubles you.
Silence settled.
Bivisu watched him.
— You think you understand me?
— A little.
Sakolomeh gave a faint smile.
— Your era is over.
Those words struck harder than any attack.
Even Neru and Ravena remained silent.
— The Ancient Genesis has disappeared.
— The world you protected no longer exists.
— The rules you enforced have vanished.
— The enemies you fought have disappeared.
Sakolomeh continued to advance.
— And now...
— The Original Gods themselves seem to have learned to live without you.
Bivisu's gaze wavered slightly.
Almost imperceptibly.
But Sakolomeh had seen it.
— So you are probably wondering something.
The Ineffable's voice grew softer.
— Whether you still have a reason to exist.
The wind stopped.
Even Ravena turned her eyes toward Bivisu.
The fragment was now looking at the ground.
Silent.
As if he were reflecting on something he had avoided for billions of years.
Sakolomeh continued calmly:
— But you are mistaken.
Bivisu slowly raised his eyes.
— Your role is over.
— Not your existence.
Silence returned.
Heavier than before.
— The Outergods are returning.
— The Original Gods are stirring.
— The Demon Emperors are leaving their domains.
— Even the Ineffables are gathering.
He looked straight into the fragment's eyes.
— And despite all that...
— Everyone continues to speak your name.
This time, Bivisu did not respond.
His arm continued to slowly dissolve.
His gaze no longer seemed that of a forgotten guardian.
It resembled more that of a being still searching for his place in a world that had continued to move forward without him.
Bivisu lowered his eyes to the ground.
His face remained perfectly neutral, almost devoid of any emotion. Yet behind this apparent lack of reaction, something seemed to be working within his mind.
Sakolomeh's words had touched a sensitive point.
A point he had probably never seriously considered before.
Around him, Ravena, Neru, Bakuzan, Salomeh, and the others waited in silence. None of them rushed him. All knew that the decision had to come from him alone.
Seconds passed.
Then Bivisu finally raised his head.
The immense eyes of Omnivisu that observed the sky began to disappear one after another.
The last remnants of Rivisün also faded away.
Every trace of the battle vanished as if nothing had ever happened.
The fragment looked successively at Sakolomeh, Bakuzan, Ravena, Neru, and Salomeh.
Then he simply nodded.
A slight smile appeared on Sakolomeh's face.
Ravena let out a discreet sigh of relief.
Neru ran a hand behind his neck.
— Finally...
Bivisu had just accepted.
The Ineffables were no longer his enemies.
They were now his allies.
And this single decision could change the course of the coming war.
Sakolomeh knew perfectly well what that meant.
If Bivisu had chosen the side of the Outergods, or simply decided to fight alone against everyone, the consequences would have been catastrophic.
Now, a new stage awaited them.
To find his true body.
And above all, to listen to everything he still knew about the Outergods, their past wars, and the dangers approaching.
A few moments later, the group returned to the camp.
At some distance away, Erasa was sitting near the extinguished fire.
Next to her, Hinata, Kert, and Zerath were sleeping deeply.
Or rather...
Kert and Zerath had been forced to sleep.
Erasa had discreetly knocked the two boys unconscious earlier in the night so they would not notice either the battle or the disturbances caused by the confrontation with Bivisu.
The demon slightly raised her eyes when the group appeared.
Her gaze immediately fell on the man with long white hair whose arm was still slowly dissolving.
— So that's him... Bivisu?
Sakolomeh nodded.
— In flesh and fragments.
A slight smile appeared on his face.
— Now all that remains is to find the rest.
Bivisu did not respond.
He simply looked at the horizon.
As if something, beyond even the sky, still held his attention.
Time passed.
Then the first light of dawn began to illuminate the forest.
Sunlight filtered through the trees.
A new day was beginning.
A few seconds later, Kert was the first to emerge from his sleep.
— Huh...?
He blinked several times.
Then spotted the entire group.
His brain took a few seconds to process.
— WHAT?!
He jumped to his feet.
Beside him, Zerath also woke up.
His gaze moved from one face to another.
Sakolomeh.
Salomeh.
Bakuzan.
Ravena.
Neru.
Erasa.
Then finally Bivisu.
The young man froze.
— Who are these people...?
Kert, meanwhile, was already taking a ridiculous combat stance.
— Who exactly are you?!
Zerath remained more cautious.
He carefully observed the group before asking:
— Who are you?
A hand then rested on his shoulder.
Another on Kert's.
The two boys turned around.
Hinata had just woken up.
She gave them a tired smile.
— Don't worry.
She gestured toward the group behind her.
— It's my family.
Silence fell immediately.
Zerath blinked.
— Your... family?
He looked again at the individuals present.
Then at Hinata.
Then again at the group.
— Wait... what do you mean, your family?
— And why are they here?
Kert straightened proudly, crossing his arms.
— Tsk.
He sniffed loudly.
— They're lucky to be your family.
He then struck a completely absurd martial pose.
One leg raised.
Arms twisted in every direction.
— Because I was this close to teaching them the lesson of their lives.
Silence fell again.
Ravena slowly looked away.
Salomeh looked at the sky.
Bakuzan sighed.
Even Neru seemed to be struggling not to laugh.
As for Bivisu...
He stared at Kert for a few seconds.
Then simply looked away.
As if he had just concluded that this creature was too strange to be analyzed.
Hinata shook her head, letting out a laugh.
— Kert...
She smiled more.
— You really are incorrigible.
— Exactly!
he replied proudly.
— That's what makes my charm!
— No.
— That's what makes you unbearable.
Zerath immediately replied.
— SHUT UP!
Kert shouted.
For a long time, despite the Outergods, the ancient wars, the revelations about Bivisu, and the threats weighing on the world...
A few bursts of laughter simply echoed in the middle of the forest.