The one retrieved from The Void

Ken staggered, nearly collapsing from the agony. But he refused to back down. His remaining blade emitted a fierce crimson light, a sharp contrast to the cold blue radiating from The Cobalt. Summoning all his strength, Ken surged forward once again. The Cobalt dodged his initial strike, but Ken had anticipated it. He reached out with his good arm, grabbing The Cobalt by the head.

The red glow around Ken's remaining arm flared brilliantly, the air around it crackling with energy. The Cobalt realized, too late, that this was no ordinary grip.

With a ferocious kick, Ken struck The Cobalt squarely in the face, sending him stumbling backward. As The Cobalt regained his footing, Ken launched a final, desperate attack. His blade sliced deep into The Cobalt's chest, leaving a long, jagged gash. The glow from Ken's arm dimmed as he fell back, his strength nearly spent.

The Cobalt steadied himself, his breaths ragged but measured. Blood seeped from the wound in his chest, yet he stood tall.

"Thank you, young warrior," The Cobalt said, his voice calm despite the pain. "However, we cannot continue fighting like this."

Ken's response was cut short as The Cobalt's arms flared with a blinding blue light. The temperature in the air seemed to drop as the massive man launched a final attack. Ken tried to block it with his remaining arm, but the strike shattered the limb entirely. The blow hit him square in the chest, sending him hurtling into a wall. The impact was devastating, and Ken collapsed, coughing blood as the pain overwhelmed him.

"Ken!" Yuu cried out, rushing forward, only to be stopped by The Cobalt's raised hand.

"Worry not, young woman," The Cobalt said, his tone softening. "Your brother is alive. A warrior like him wouldn't let something like this stop him."

The massive man turned to the rest of the group, his gaze steady. "Now, who is next?"

"No one," Vas said, stepping forward.

The Cobalt's eyes narrowed. "What makes you so certain of that?"

"That red glow," Vas said, his tone calm. "Haven't you wondered what it was?"

For the first time, hesitation crossed The Cobalt's face. His body trembled slightly as he fell to one knee. His breathing became labored, and the blue light from his arms began to flicker.

"From the start, Ken knew he couldn't win," Vas explained. "So, he used other means to even the playing field. The glow and electricity you saw earlier? They weren't just for show."

The Cobalt's movements grew sluggish as his body started shutting down.

"Nanobots," Ken rasped weakly, his voice strained but resolute. "That's the glow. They're slowing your metabolism and body functions. They won't kill you, but they'll keep you down for a while."

The Cobalt let out a low chuckle, his body still trembling. "Smart. This was my loss."

"You fought with honor," Ken said. "Thank you for that."

"And you fought bravely, young one," The Cobalt replied. "When I recover, I'll take you to a safe place to heal."

Ken shook his head. "No. I want to continue with them."

The Cobalt nodded, a rare respect in his gaze. "Then I'll accompany you. You've earned that much."

"Thank you," Ken murmured.

As the group gathered around, Lily spoke up. "We'll wait here until The Cobalt can move."

"Am I the only one who doesn't trust bringing another inmate along?" Carmilla asked, her voice sharp with skepticism.

"No, you're not," Jason agreed.

Vas smiled faintly. "The Cobalt has proven himself a man of honor. If he wanted to, he could've attacked all of us—either at the start or after defeating Ken. He chose not to. That's why I believe we'll be fine."

Carmilla crossed her arms but said nothing more, her wariness still evident as they settled in to wait.

After Ken managed to regain some of his strength, the group continued onward, led by The Cobalt. The descent to the third floor revealed a starkly different environment from the levels above. This floor appeared much less… finished. The walls were jagged, carved from unrefined rock, giving the impression of a space never meant for frequent use. The cells, however, were a striking contrast. Embedded into the uneven walls, they gleamed with a strange, polished precision. Their reinforced construction made it clear: these cells were meant to contain something far more dangerous than those held above.

A biting chill crept through the air, sharper and more invasive than anything they had felt on the upper levels. The persistent red light, a hallmark of this place, bled into every corner, casting eerie shadows that seemed to twist and shift as they moved. The oppressive atmosphere pressed down on them, making the space feel alive with malice.

Jason broke the heavy silence, his voice cutting through the gloom. "Okay, now how do we get to the fourth floor?"

"There are some stairs not too far away from here, young one," The Cobalt replied, his voice calm but deliberate. "The issue is that the path is heavily guarded."

"Hey," Ken said, his voice drawing The Cobalt's attention. "I've been meaning to ask you something. Why are you here? You place honor above all else, and, well... you don't exactly strike me as dangerous."

The Cobalt turned to him, his expression unreadable under the crimson light. "How much do you know about the war, young one?"

Ken shrugged slightly, his tone casual. "Mmm, well, I know it started because some people wanted to rebel against the Aetherion Council. That sparked a long war that lasted a thousand days."

"One thousand and fourteen," Vas corrected without missing a beat.

Ken turned to him with a blank expression. "You were one of the nerds?"

Carmilla smirked. "He was more than that. Vas was one of the top students at our school."

Ken blinked, visibly taken aback. "Well, that's... something?"

Yuu raised an eyebrow, her gaze shifting to Vas. "You definitely don't seem like the type who'd be a good student."

"I'm not," Vas replied simply. "I just pay attention when it matters. But that's not important. Please, continue, Cobalt."

The Cobalt inclined his head slightly. "Thank you, young one." He turned his gaze back to Ken. "Your answer is both correct and incomplete."

"Yeah," The Negotiator interjected, his voice carrying a somber note. "That was only the surface."

"The Hidden Heresy," The Cobalt said gravely.

Yuu tilted her head, her brow furrowed in confusion. "What's the Hidden Heresy?"

The Negotiator sighed, his expression dark. "Some of us didn't know about it until we were sent here. I certainly didn't."

"Neither did I," The Cobalt admitted.

The Negotiator continued, his tone heavy. "The ones who started the war—they didn't rebel against the Aetherion Council." He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in.

"They rebelled against The Twelve," The Cobalt finished.

"What?!" Yuu's shocked voice echoed through the space.

"Yeah," The Negotiator said grimly. "I learned this from someone here—the Nun."

"The Nun?" Jason asked, frowning.

"The one you guys killed before meeting us," Vas clarified.

"Oh..." Lily murmured, her gaze dropping to the floor. "So that's what she was called..."

"Don't sweat it," The Negotiator said, his tone firm but not unkind. "She was crazy—truly unhinged."

"Anyway," The Cobalt interjected, reclaiming their attention. "Young ones, the rebels believed The Twelve were not rightful deities but usurpers who had stolen their positions from their predecessors."

Ken frowned, skepticism evident in his voice. "And where did they get that crazy idea?"

"You'd have to ask them," The Negotiator said. "Apparently, only a select few ever knew the full story—or what happened to those who did."

"Wouldn't they be locked up here?" Carmilla asked. "Maybe on the lower levels?"

"No one knows," The Cobalt said gravely. "I fought in the war because I believed in their promise of a fairer system and a conflict fought with honor. But that wasn't the reality. I was used, just like so many others. Horrible things happened while our backs were turned."

"So," Ken said, his voice quieter now, "you're here because you found out the truth?"

"Even if I wasn't fully aware," The Cobalt replied, his tone heavy with guilt, "there's no denying I participated in it. Being here is my atonement."

"Then why did you go along with their recommendation to cause as much trouble as you could?" Carmilla asked, her tone sharp.

Vas answered before The Cobalt could speak. "You want to die with honor. You want to fight someone with honor and die in battle to reclaim what you lost, don't you?"

The Cobalt met Vas's gaze and nodded slowly. "Yes, young one. You understand."

"That's also why you're protecting my brother," Yuu added softly. "It's your way of trying to regain your honor."

The Cobalt inclined his head in silent acknowledgment.

"So this place was built to keep those who participated in the Hidden Heresy?" Lily asked, her voice quiet.

"Yeah," The Negotiator said. "Everyone here can either use Anima or has cybernetics that make them incredibly dangerous."

"So it's a den of monsters," Carmilla muttered, her voice tinged with unease. "And we're just walking right into it."