The Black Masks were a criminal syndicate that had come out from nowhere. Their meteoric ascent to the top was unprecedented for an organisation of their obscurity and size. Over the years, the Black Masks had grown from a syndicate that local mayors would handle to a gigantic force that could match the greatest superpowers to ever exist in the world. Although a large part of their success could be attributed to their leader being the most powerful being in existence, no one could scoff at the might of their Nine Coloured Noble Beasts.

Akai, bearing the colour of red, was a ferocious Lion Chimaera that could challenge any Spirit Venerate once he’d met them. Bearing the blood of a Lion, Eagle and Snake, Akai was a blueblood predator. He would decimate his foes with pure force so much so, that one might mistake his element as destruction.

Midori, holding the Seat of Green, showed his power as a famed Gargantuan Treant. Treants, by nature, were Tier 3 Spirit Beasts at birth. Not particularly something to be amazed by given that most of his comrades were born at Tier 5 or 6. If it came to overall talent, Midori was without a doubt, at the bottom of the pack. However, Treants had one advantage over the rest of its fellow Spirit Beasts. Its seemingly never-ending lifespan. Midori slowly nurtured himself, taking thousands of years to climb up a single step. He never messed with humans or other powerful Spirit Beasts, fearing that he would be annihilated before he could fully grow. And his efforts paid off. Now, Midori was the sole Gargantuan Treant that existed in the Terre Continent and anywhere else in the world.

Murasaki, the vicious Arachne Queen and the femme fatale holding the Seat of Purple. Bearing the upper torso of a woman and the lower body of a spider, Murasaki was by far the most terrifying being to look at. Humans would stray far away from the Arachne Queen that took pleasure in eating their heads while Spirit Beasts would instinctively keep away, fearing the cobs of her inescapable web. Being the queen of all spiders, her subjects, mostly lower-tiered creepy-crawlies, would do her every bidding, even if it meant mass-murdering billions of their own kind.

Momo, the only ‘young girl’ in the Nine Coloured Noble Beasts, was the one bearing the colour of pink. Momo may look pure and innocent, and many might think she was incapable of harming a fly, alas… Reality was often disappointing. Momo was part of the three strongest beings among the Nine Colours, alongside Kuro and Ao. Her true form was that of a Moon Rabbit, a rare Spirit Beast that used the power of the moon to supplement her lack of physical strength. Although they were rare, Moon Rabbits weren’t particularly the strongest Spirit Beasts, and there had been no recorded instance of them reaching Tier 9. It was by the Allfather’s grace that Momo had reached this far, and the Moon Rabbit acutely knew that. Hence, she ardently believed in the Allfather and swore to serve him with religious fervour.

Kin and Gin, the twins that held the Golden Seat and the Silver Seat, respectively. Barring their differing hair colours and genders, the two in their human form looked exactly alike. However, their original forms weren’t remotely similar. Kin was a Golden Fox, a close blood relative to the legendary Kumiho. On the other hand, Gin was a Silver Monkey, a mythical creature that could inspire any monkey-type Spirit Beasts in the land. Kin and Gin were perhaps the most detached entities in the Nine Colours as they often stuck together like glue. Not many had seen the full extent of their capabilities, even in the long years they served under the Allfather. However, one thing was for certain… Their powers were befitting of the Golden and Silver Throne, two of the pillars that held the Black Mask syndicate together.

Shiro, the only ‘young boy’ in the organisation, was the being that held onto the auspicious White Seat. Some might infer that Shiro was equal in strength with Kuro, the opposite colour and the only Primordial Beast in the Nine Colours, and they wouldn’t be that far off. Although Shiro lacked the offensive abilities of Momo, Ao or his direct opposite Kuro, Shiro’s auxiliary abilities were second to none in the Black Masks. Shiro was a Mirror Deity, the rarest of all Spirit Beasts, and that included the mythological Dragons. He could create mirages, generate barriers, heal broken bodies and regenerate mana… The all-in-one support that all the Nine Colours relied upon. Not to mention, Shiro’s innate ability to create mirror images of himself made him one of the hardest beings to kill within the syndicate.

Ao, the World Serpent holding the Seat of Blue. The oldest Spirit Beast among the Nine Colours, he was one of the most respected, particularly among the Spirit Beasts that originated from the Uncharted Wilderness. The fame of the World Serpent precedes that of the Allfather or his loyal servant, Kuro. Murasaki and Midori were among the ones who sided in principle with Ao, even though his actions had led to the downfall Phase Four of the Master Scheme. However, neither of them dared to openly stand behind Ao at the moment… No matter how much they respected the World Serpent, it would be a fool to go against the boss of the Nine Colours.

Kuro. The only Primordial Beast in the Nine Colours and the one being closest to the Allfather held onto the Black Throne. The Nine Coloured Noble Beasts had a vast array of Spirit Beasts. From Mirror Deities that would appear once in a blue moon to resilient Treants that grew to the apex. From rare Moon Rabbits to vicious Arachne Queens that were born to rule. There was even the legendary World Serpent thrown in the mix. So one might assume that Kuro, the leader of the pack, must be some utterly devastating Spirit Beast. One that had innate talents not inferior to that of the World Serpent.

However, that was far from the truth. Kuro’s true form wasn’t some Dragon or Phoenix. Neither was it a unique Spirit Beast with extraordinary talents. Kuro’s true form… Was a simple wolf.

Kuro wasn’t a Spirit Beast at birth. It took him years of mutations and eating aether crystals for the predator to circulate mana in its weak body. Kuro became the Allfather’s mount when the almighty being was still a Rank 10 Spirit Apostle, making him the longest-serving servant within the Nine Colours. There was no one the Allfather trusted more than Kuro, and the feeling was mutual. When the Allfather was absent, Kuro’s words were the law. Thus, not a single soul dared to disrupt Ao’s explanation when the Black Wolf was fervently listening in.

“... That’s all I have on Junius.” Ao finished his speech, and the entire hall fell as silent as a church. The other eight Spirit Beasts stared silently at the World Serpent, each one hiding their own thoughts within.

“It was my mistake for trusting Junius too much,” the blue-haired man continued. Ao turned his attention to the colossal man, who was furrowing his brows in thought. With a sigh, the World Serpent did something that was unprecedented for Spirit Beasts, particularly those that reached Tier 9… His knees… met the floor.

“It was my oversight and I take full responsibility for the loss to our organisation,” Ao kowtowed to Kuro, drawing gasps from all over the chambers. Spirit Beasts were unlike humans. They were attuned to their natural senses and would never fully submit themselves to another being. While humans sometimes saw kneeling as an act of courtesy, whenever a Spirit Beast knelt, it meant they had given the fate of their lives to another.

“...” At this point, not a single soul dared to interrupt. They had heard his explanation and could infer that Junius’ betrayal had nothing to do with the loyal World Serpent. Alas, there was guilt by association. Ao should have tightened the leash on his human, not giving him the slightest chance to betray the Allfather.

“I see,” Kuro’s stoic face crept down into a frown. Truth to be told, he wanted to break the traitor’s soul and tear his body limb from limb. However, with Junius’ body already disintegrated by Shin’s Dragon’s Tear, there was nothing that could be done.

All of a sudden, Ao felt a sudden pull on his body, even though there wasn’t a single presence that was near him. Looking up, he saw Kuro raised his right hand like a king asking his subjects to arise. “Get up, Ao. Your fate is not for me to decide… Your fate is...”

[For me to decide.]

A divine voice shook the massive hall. All of the Spirit Beasts, no matter how strong they were, felt a cold shiver run down their spine. A cold, shadowy figure stood right in front of Spirit Immortal Dream’s statue silently, as if it had been there from the very beginning. Once the Noble Beasts saw that figure, they all universally bowed their heads in reverence.

“Allfather!” A plethora of emotions were shown through that uniform shout. Fear, joy, respect… Every single one of the Nine Coloured Noble Beasts had their own feelings towards their enigmatic leader. However, there was one emotion that was constant throughout… And that was pure admiration.

[Ao, you have lost the west. You have foiled Phase Four of our Grand Scheme. All of the resources we’ve spent building Hell’s Gate have been wiped clean by Junius’ betrayal.]

The Allfather cut to the chase. It was rare for him to summon the Nine Colours. Still, whenever he did so, there would definitely be a massive upheaval in the syndicate. By the look of things, it seems like the World Serpent was either going to be disposed of his rank or even executed to pay for his crimes.

“I know,” Ao bowed his head even lower than before. “I accept full responsibility. Punish me as you please, Allfather.”

[...]

The cloaked shadow didn’t turn around to face his followers. The gap in his hood was still facing Spirit Immortal Dream’s statue. Not one of them could see the Allfather’s expression, let alone tell what feelings lingered under that black cloak. Was he angry? Disappointed? Or was he in grief? None of them, barring Kuro, could tell. That’s why… The Allfather’s next words came as a total surprise.

[Why should I punish you?]

“Huh?” Ao stared blankly at the hooded man.

[Ao, you failed the mission I’d assigned to you… But it was by no fault of your own. No one could have anticipated that Junius would use the Tree of Illusions to purify my mana, not even myself. If I couldn’t see it happening, neither could you.]

“But I...”

[And… Do you think that this situation is terrible for me?]

“... What?” Dumbstruck, the World Serpent stared blankly at the mighty being, who was still facing Spirit Immortal Dream’s statue. Slowly, the cloaked figure turned, and an immense pressure mounted on all of the Nine Coloured Noble Beasts. Still shrouded by darkness, no one could see the face of the Allfather. However, they could definitely feel the state of his mana.

It was… jovial. The ordinarily stoic Allfather, who always held onto a majestic aura that was detached from human emotions… was now bubbling with joy.

[The reason why we’ve been casting a wide net… The main reason why we’ve been causing mayhem in this peaceful world… Was to create a hero. A person that would defy the odds, rise above all expectations and reach a level that was unattainable by those pampered Spirit Saints of modern-day… And we found him...]

“Shin… Iofiel?”

[That’s right! I needed heroes to emerge from the brink of destruction to come and spur me to improve. Thus far, only Shin Iofiel has managed to do so. And with Junius offering him my mana, it would only be a matter of time before he advances to the Spirit Saint realm!]

The Allfather turned more animated than he ever was, dropping the jaws of the Nine Coloured Noble Beasts. Where was their immovable leader that kept his calm throughout the centuries?

[However… I can’t wait for decades or centuries for Shin to catch up… No, I can’t put all my eggs in one basket either… Therefore…]

The Nine Colours all thought that they were called to the Throne Hall to witness the downfall of the World Serpent. However, that was far from the case. Whenever the Nine Colours gathered, a major upheaval was soon to follow. And the Allfather’s agenda for today was...

[I decided to move up the next phase of the Master Scheme!!!]