ZERO: Before the Beginning

The Breath Revenant slowly revealed its form. Its body was shrouded in gray mist, swelling like twisted alveoli, mimicking the act of breathing. But the sound of that breath—was not air.

It was the sound of inhaling and exhaling fragments of emotion. A hollow, broken rhythm that imitated human respiration.

Zero stepped back, gripping the Air Drain Blade tightly. The Breath Revenant rose before him, its body distorted, bloating and shrinking as it inhaled emotional gas.

> "Yes... Sever the breath…"

Zero bit his lip and charged. The suffocating pain pressed against his chest, but he didn't falter. The Breath Revenant moved slowly, yet its mere presence was terrifying—its breath seemed to contain all the pain and despair of human emotion.

Ruan raised his voice, activating his incantation.

> "Breath of Purification, activate!"

His voice echoed through the air, and the flow began to purify. But the air of this Lung Kingdom was already saturated with emotion—the purification was not easy.

The Revenant reacted. Sharp intake tubes extended from its chest, sucking in air violently. With every breath, the atmosphere condensed, suffocating all around.

Zero found his moment.

> "Now!"

The Air Drain Blade sliced forward—

Whoooooosh!

The blade cut through the air, hurtling toward the Revenant's body. But the creature stepped back, evading. Toxic emotions radiated outward, causing the Air Drain to hesitate.

Then—its body convulsed, vibrating irregularly, as if reacting to the air currents.

> "Don't die…"

Its voice carried deep emotion that reached Zero's ears.

Zero inhaled deeply, then struck again.

Whoosh—!

The blade bent sharply and slashed the Revenant's torso. Its form dissipated into gas. But its inhaling grew stronger, forcing Zero to flinch.

> "Come, Breath of Purification…" Ruan murmured.

The space responded. Ruan's incantation didn't just purify; it reduced and circulated emotional residue. But the Revenant countered.

It exhaled thick gas, filling the air with emotional particles. Zero and Ruan began to choke on the toxin.

> "This is… too strong." Zero gasped. "If we inhale more—we'll be overwhelmed by the emotions."

The Revenant grinned. Its face was obscured, but the voice was clear.

> "Yes… Now you'll feel my breath. Suffocation is my final lesson."

Zero slashed forward again.

> "We'll live on. What you give isn't everything."

The blade ripped through air toward the Revenant.

---

As the alveoli calmed, a brief silence settled—but it didn't last.

Deep within the canyon, tremors rumbled. It wasn't just air movement—it was living emotion beating through the land.

> "That Revenant… was only the vanguard." Ruan's eyes shimmered with crimson mist.

Zero tensed. The lingering air wasn't dispersing—it was thickening. Another infected was coming.

The canyon walls cracked open—Shhhhhk—

Hundreds of vents released bursts of angry gas. The sky turned red, and from it, a shape emerged.

It looked like lungs, but massive, exhaling pressurized gas in powerful gusts.

> "2nd Infected… Breath Ruina." Ruan expanded his Lumina Core.

[Emotion Type: Rage / Multi-Infected / External Inhaler Weapon / Threat Level: Red]

Ruina wasn't designed for attack, but for absorption and crushing pressure. Each breath drew in the surroundings and compressed them. Direct attacks risked being drawn in.

> "No circulation. This is a Stagnant Zone." Zero clenched his jaw.

> "We need to secure an escape route before we strike." Ruan began reconfiguring his incantation. "Breath of Purification, Third Form — Pulse of Recovery."

A green emotional wave shimmered. Ruan stabilized the oxygen molecules and created a pulse—a path tore through the stagnation.

> "Now! Through that gap."

Zero unfolded the Air Drain—not to inhale, but to channel his emotions.

> "Emotion-Infused Air Slash… Vapor Reverse!"

Whoosh!

A crescent slash shifted the air. Ruina's suction faltered, one alveolus collapsed.

> "Now!"

Both launched forward. Ruan threw the Lumina Core to clear vision, Zero cut through the gas to open a passage.

BOOOOM!

A rupture formed in the canyon. Zero leapt into it, grabbing Ruan's hand.

Ruina screamed—"KAAAAAAAHHHHH!!"

But the scream wasn't just noise—it was a wave. Its resonance pierced Zero's lungs, reaching his brain.

In that moment, Zero saw a memory:

A red room. A man wearing an oxygen mask, exhaling his last breath. He never finished speaking before being pulled into the emotional void.

[Name – Nam Ji-hoon. Age – 45. Cause of Death: Pneumonia → Acute Asphyxiation]

His final emotion—was rage. Because no one listened to his pain.

Zero clenched his teeth.

> "I get your rage. But it's time to purify."

He raised his blade. Inhaled one last time. And soared forward.

> "Final Wave Barrier — Vacuum Slash."

Air vanished. Sound stopped. Zero's blade struck the center of Ruina—the memory-holding lungs.

Shuuuuuu—

The gas collapsed. Ruina dissolved into red mist, leaving no trace of rage.

Silence. Second purification complete, after the First Breath.