Chapter 7: Division Zero Moves
The air was too still. Not the calm kind of still—but the kind that warned of a storm just beyond the clouds.
Luo Shen stood on the rooftop of the academy dormitory, his hands buried in his coat pockets, his gaze fixed on the sky that no longer felt like Earth's. Ever since the Abyss Gates tore open across the world, the sky itself had changed—flickers of crimson veins streaked across the blue, sometimes pulsing like a heartbeat.
"Division Zero," he muttered.
He had sensed them long before they arrived. Their presence wasn't loud—but it carried pressure. Not the type that crushed, but the kind that watched, observed, calculated. Like predators circling something they didn't understand.
Meanwhile, in the courtyard below, Lian Shen stood beside her newly hatched beast—still no name, but its eyes shimmered with violet stars. It curled protectively around her legs, radiating warmth and pulsing with an aura of mystic origin. Students stared in awe, but a wall of tension kept anyone from stepping closer.
A cold voice cracked through the air.
"You're coming with us."
Five figures appeared—silent, dressed in obsidian-black armor with silver rune markings. Their weapons weren't drawn. They didn't need to. Their presence alone spoke of sanctioned authority.
The academy guards were nowhere to be seen. As expected. Division Zero operated beyond the rules.
Lian's eyes narrowed. "And if I don't?"
The leader, a tall woman with silver-white hair tied into a braid, took a step forward. Her ID tag shimmered for just a moment: "Commander Eira Vale."
"You've been marked as a Class-S awakening with a unique bloodline bond and an unregistered divine beast. That classifies you as a National Asset."
Lian clenched her fists. Her pet beast growled softly.
From the rooftop, Luo Shen exhaled quietly. "So they came for her already."
[System Notification: Threat Level Assessment – Class-S Detainment Protocol Engaged.]
Recommendation: Do nothing. Hide identity. Continue monitoring.
Warning: Revealing power may trigger World Tier Threat Detection.
He ignored the system.
Because what his system didn't understand was this: he didn't care for protocols when it came to his sister.
Luo Shen vanished from the rooftop.
He landed between Lian and the agents without a sound, his presence sudden—but utterly calm.
Lian blinked. "Bro?"
Eira frowned. "You're her brother?"
He didn't answer her.
Instead, he gently placed a hand on Lian's shoulder. "It's fine. Go back to your room."
"But—"
"I'll talk to them."
His voice wasn't loud. But it carried weight—like something unspoken simmered beneath.
Eira motioned to her squad. "Step back. He's no ordinary bystander."
Another agent, masked and holding a blade across his back, whispered, "We're getting readings. His data's… blank."
Eira's brows twitched. "Blank?"
"No system ID. No class. No rank. Nothing."
Eira took a measured step forward. "Luo Shen. You're interfering with government extraction orders."
He tilted his head slightly, eyes cool. "I'm protecting my sister."
"You don't understand. If she's untrained, she could pose a risk to—"
"She's not the risk."
The words hung in the air.
Luo Shen raised a single finger. Not to attack—just to point.
A ripple of pure system energy pulsed outward, so dense it made the air shimmer. The agents all instinctively stepped back.
Their system sensors went berserk.
[Detected: Energy Signature – Unknown Tier]
[Warning: Potential Chaos-Class Entity]
Eira's voice dropped. "That's impossible… Chaos-Class was a theoretical system tier. We never—"
"You weren't meant to detect me," Luo Shen interrupted. "But I let you."
For a moment, the entire courtyard was silent.
Even the wind held its breath.
Luo Shen walked slowly toward the squad. "You came for her. But if you try to take her by force… you'll be forced to understand something this world isn't ready for."
Eira's hand gripped her badge tightly. Not out of fear—out of instinct. "We're not your enemies."
"I know," he said, stopping just inches away. "But make sure we don't become each other's regrets."
Behind him, Lian stared, stunned. This wasn't the quiet, withdrawn brother she knew. This was someone else—someone terrifying, someone calm enough to scare the ones meant to protect the world.
Eira finally sighed. "We'll monitor her remotely for now. You have 30 days to report to Central Authority."
He nodded once.
The team retreated.
After they left, Lian finally exhaled. "Bro… what was that?"
He turned, his usual soft smile returning. "Just a chat."
She looked up at him. "You're not normal… are you?"
Luo Shen said nothing.
But the beast beside her stared at him—not with fear, but with silent recognition. As if it knew what he truly was.
[Chaos Infinity System – Hidden Status Maintained]
[New Notification: Division Zero surveillance delayed. Cloak efficiency recalibrated.]
Elsewhere, in a hidden underground facility, a Division Zero analyst typed furiously.
"Commander Vale… his data was wiped from every source the moment we left."
Eira stared at the screen. "Wiped?"
The analyst swallowed. "It's like he never existed. Even our memory scans are scrambled."
She narrowed her eyes.
"There's no doubt anymore," she whispered.
"We've encountered the true anomaly."