"You wanted to see beneath my mask?" Kyle asked as he grabbed her by the shoulder, she gazed into his dreadfully cold eyes along his just as chilling smile. She watched as they both widened, his eyes growing mad and grin sickeningly wicked. "Well here you go, take a good long fucking look".

He suddenly pushed her back, she was too baffled to react. Karnage fell back into the rift, his expression of insanity burning itself into her memory.

She groaned once she hit the stone hard floor, finding herself laying back at the room Lilior had made.

"Hm? What happened?" asked Io as she had seen Karnage fall out of the rift, the tear in space closing a moment later.

But Karnage did not respond ("Why...Kyle just why...you can't ask me that and..."), for a long time she lay there lost in her thoughts("Are you...even in there anymore?..."). Karnage had never felt so conflicted, for the first time she was truly afraid.

She continued to lay there as Io watched in confused silence ("After all you said...after...everything...You've still become it...Why...") suddenly she began to rise. Karnage stood up and glanced back at Io.

("Even though you want to be the monster...I can't stop...I cannot stop loving you...") She gazed at the High Elf with determination in her eyes "Please...train me." Karnage suddenly asked.

Io stared at her confused but nodded "I'm not my brother, but I will do what I can."

Karnage lowered her gaze with a nod and a weak smile ("It hurts...it hurts so much...And it's because it does...because I cannot stop...") "I need to be stronger..."

"You will be, I can assure you of that." responded Io, as she offered Karnage her hand.

Karnage looked at her hand, briefly staring at it ("If the villain is what you chose to be...then I'll be the hero. And as the hero, because I love you...I will save you, even...even if it means destroying the monster you become.")

Karnage took Io's hand and both of them suddenly disappeared.

Nix stared off at the destruction, it had taken them several minutes to get the Drakes under control. Even though it was only a few minutes...

"This is..." Nix mumbled as he watched from high up, one third of the armada had been sunk or completely thrashed. The Champions had held back but they still made quite the mess.

The Drakes on the other hand held nothing back. They saw these soldiers as traitors, they treated them as such. Dragons had little need for compassion.

Nix grimaced as he watched the navy gather their wounded, leaving the dead to sink as there was nothing else to be done. Elves did not believe in respecting the body after passing, their memory was all they required.

Then suddenly he glimpsed one of his Champions descend down towards a sinking ship. The halberd wielder had seen a sailor stuck under the ship's fallen mast.

Nix followed her down, watched as the sailor struggled with his left leg crushed under the mast. She descended down onto the deck, easily heaving up the mast with her sheer strength.

Nix watched as she forwarded the terrified sailor her hand.

"N-No! P-Please! spa-spare me!" begged the young sailor as he struggled away from her.

The Champion's eyes widened in shock as she stared down at him "N-No I'm just..." she horrified by his behaviour towards her. How he squirmed and whimpered away, as if faced with death incarnate. The hopelessness in his eyes tore away at her as anger, guilt and frustration welled up within.

She flinched when Nix grabbed her shoulder, glancing back with horror in her eyes "We.. we did this..." she said in a choked voice.

Nix couldn't bare to meet her eyes as he looked away "Tania...We should go." he told her sternly.

Tania shook her head "We...We can't leave!" she suddenly exclaimed pulling away from him "We...We need to give them aid! Collect the wounded...and...and..." despair was clear in her eyes as her outburst caught the other Champion's attention.

"Nothing we do here can excuse what we've done." Solemnly said Nix before suddenly grabbing her arm and meeting her desperate eyes with his own "We were fools...No...We were fooled..."

Tania saw the rage within Nix's eyes, rage she hadn't seen in centuries. The rage filled eyes that once brought down an entire country to it's knees.

Spirit Realm

Crystal Kingdom of Kori

Kyle suddenly appeared before Durin, Celica, Soren and Lilior. He seemed calm, he seemed collected but on the inside he was just hollow. He emptily gazed at each of them "Soren I'll send you ahead with Lilior, I need to speak with Celica and Durin."

"Sure...I'll update Birse on the situation. Did she?..." Soren let the words hang but Kyle immediately caught on.

"I broke it up, she's with her own." responded Kyle before swiping open a rift with a summoned claw of slime "Go on, I'll be right behind you." he casually told them.

Soren sighed but said nothing further, he stepped through the rift followed by Lilior who before entering gave a worried glance at Kyle.

"It won't take long." he assured her, Lilior nodded and stepped through.

Kyle turned to face Durin and Celica as the rift closed beside him. He dropped the cold that had engulfed his chest, letting his emotions flow once more. "I need you to confirm something for me...How long...do we live for?"

Both Celica and Durin alongside every other Spirit Beast within Kori sensed Kyle's emotions. His overflowing anger, his frustration, but above all they felt...his guilt.

Celica stared at him in surprise "I'm...not sure?" she said turning to Durin for a real response.

Durin hummed in thought before answering "Our lifespan varies from clan to clan but...Our kind normally lives up to three hundred years...As a Kitsune that is.. As a Yako...Your lifespan is shorter than a human's."

Kyle grimaced at the answer "Why?"

Durin sighed "As a dark spirit fox you are prone to absorbing negative emotions over positive ones. That much negative Spirit deteriorates your vessel, your body."

Kyle sighed in exasperation "Hah...I figured as much...How long? At the rate I'm going how long could I live?"

Durin stared hard at Kyle, gazing into his hollow eyes "You won't make it past 40."

Celica glanced between the two, her expression one of utter shock "Kyle...you figured...is that why-"

He didn't let her finish "Part of, it was impossible from the start." he coldly responded "So if it means hurting her...the sooner the better."

Celica grabbed his shoulders "But like this...She'll hate you..."

Kyle chuckled at that "Good, the hero should hate the villain." he said in a coldly amused tone.

"Hero?" repeated Durin in confusion "She isn't a Chosen?"

Kyle shook his head with a smile "Heroes aren't chosen, picked or elected..." he turned away from them, staring off at the beautiful city below "Heroes are made, born through conflict and struggle. Created to defeat the villain."

Kyle smiled as he said so, a cold empty smile "Thank you, that is all I wanted to know." he ripped open a new rift "Good day." he said nonchalantly and stepped through.

Fei’tel

Elder’s Hall

Thirteen hours later.

Luna stood within her sunken seat waiting for all...current Elders to gather. Nix and his Champions had returned with harrowing news and she herself was currently enraged by the accusations her halfblood son had become set on.

Waiting with her within the hall were some of the Champions, Nix and three brave others while the rest stayed home needing time to reflect.

Slowly the other Elders gathered.

First came Jaik’ial then Fion’e, followed by Jeilen and Isaac until lastly came Io who was surprisingly not alone.

Walking into the hall with the High Elf was a female Beastwoman with long black hair, feline ears and tail. She wore silver-blue leather armor and tight pants, strapped to her waist were two sheathed longswords.

“Who walks with you Elder Io?” Luna asked, cautious after her first meeting with the adventurers being Kyle.

Io sat down in her throne, the woman anxiously stood by her side “This girl is a summoned, Dragon Queen. I have recently found her to be of the High Elf bloodline. She will be by my side from now on, as my apprentice.”

“Joyous as that may be Elder Io...” now spoke Jaik’ial with a bitter tone “Is it wise? We’ve just been burned by trusting these...summoned.”

The other Elders mumbled in agreement while glaring at Karnage. “I will not have my blood disrespected.” Io suddenly hissed , shutting them all up “Not all summoned stand and act as one people just as yesterday the Courts stood and acted away from us.”

Briefly the hall went silent as her harsh words sunk in, until Fion’e broke the ice “Well we are here, shall we begin?”

Jeilen snorted in disgust “What even is there to discuss? The Courts will take this as an act of aggression and the entire empire will break out into civil war.”

“Have the courts reacted to...this yet?” Isaac asked, his tone and expression calm as always.

Fion’e shook her head “Still no word other than the three navies are pulling back.”

Isaac hummed in thought as he nodded “Then I say we keep moving along the same plan.”

This caused everyone to turn and look at him in surprise, Nix even stepped to stand before the Elder “Respectfully Elder Isaac...I’d rather kill that Kori scum.” He announced bitterly.

Isaac sighed as he looked up at the warrior “Nix...Nix...Nix, when will you knight-types ever learn? Brute force solves nothing, killing the Yako will only pin his organization against us. People we are in dire need of.”

Nix grimaced as he glared down at the irredeemable man “So working with him will do what exactly?! Walk us into another of his-”

“Nix Luna” the dragon cut him off “Contain yourself child. Anger will only bring you more misery.” Luna scolded her son.

Nix clenched his fists and nodded, restraining himself as he turned away from Isaac.

“Apologies Nix but I agree with Elder Isaac.” Announced Fion’e with a sigh “What proof do we have against the fox? What can we feasibly blame him for other than offering us aid which we accepted? All we have is your word on a theory you constructed. Now I do not mean to undermine your words head Champion but...You are obviously emotionally unstable at the moment.”

“Elder Fion’e speaks true...” grumbled Jeilen in agreement “The Yako will not acknowledge these accusations. We are rolling about in his palm, we need their help more than ever.”

Luna growled in annoyance at the thought “I share your frustration child but we must think before we act. First we shall deal with the three Courts then with this Demon we have contracted with. Although I am hesitant of using anymore of their service...”

“I also agree.” Stepped in Io with childish annoyance clear in her expression “We are too deep to swim back up now. We must dive deeper.” She glanced at Karnage who stood by her side “But from now on we must thread much more carefully. This Fox is much more sly than any of us know.”

Isaac hummed curiously “Know something we do not perhaps?” he asked while glancing between Io and Karnage.

Io nodded at Karnage, gesturing for her to speak. She obliged “This fox you speak of is very much the demon you think him to be. Do not underestimate...him. He is already several steps ahead of you. You mustn’t trust a word he says.”

Isaac smirked in amusement “Ah and what would you have us do then Miss?...”

“Ka-” She caught herself before clearing her throat and speaking once more “Millandy Valier, is my name. And I’d have you do nothing other than what he thinks you are going to do...It will reduce the amount of corpses left in his wake.”

Nix turned to face the adventurer “Millandy is it? How can you be so sure of this man’s capability? He may be a Yako but he is still just one man. What do you know that we do not?” he demanded, annoyed and still more than a little frustrated.

Karnage turned to face Nix, her eyes were solemn yet sad “Champion Nix is it? You are almost twice his level and half dragon? Yet I can stand here next to you unaffected by your held back aura.” Her gaze fell to the floor “Just standing next to him...no matter how much he holds back I could still feel it...Not magic or mana...But the mere sight of his eyes...his smile...It moves everything else you feel aside. Then fills it all back up with horror...a dreadfully cold fear that paralyzed my thoughts...”

Karnage returned to meeting Nix’s cold gaze “Physically you may be worlds stronger but...Don’t be fooled like I was, either way he can kill you with ease.”

The Elders meeting continued on for several more hours but the back and forth arguing only brought them back to the same conclusion which Isaac made a point of voicing once more “Then we continue as planned...just more carefully.” Before excusing himself as the court adjourned for the day.

Isaac made his way out, noticing Io calling Nix over before leaving towards his office. Once the Elder had reached his own private space he willed open his inventory and took out a curious device.

Isaac thought of the person he wished to speak to and the VCD obliged, he had already done this twice before and he was still very much amused by the reaction of runic, spatial and illusional magic.

“Ah, Elder Isaac.” Exclaimed Kyle as he appeared within the device’s view “So how did it go?” he asked as calmly as ever.

“Just as you said it would, my even the adventurer’s appearance and warning was as you said!” Isaac mused in response “You must tell me how you do it, a wondrous ability it is!”

Kyle chuckled coldly “Oh but magic it is not I assure you of that much. As planned we will be dealing with the Orcs until our pre-arranged timetable. Keep me updated will you?”

Isaac smiled in amusement “Of course of course. I will call whenever something...unforeseen comes up.”

Kyle merely nodded before cutting the call there.

Isaac put the device away before sitting down on his desk, gazing at one of the many maps he had yet to procure (“My...this has truly become...interesting.”)