It felt as if only a moment had passed when the darkness overtook the world and then faded. Ae found himself in the Sanctuary Chamber. He had been here for months now and this is the first time he heard the name of the room where they would all revive. It made sense; this was the place closest to a throne room in this massive Citadel. In fact, the only place where one could find their Liege was in this room.

Ae glanced around the chamber and judging by the expressions on the faces of his fellow comrades, it appeared as if they were waiting for Ae quite a while. Next, Ae looked towards his Liege. The blue ball of energy calmly crackled with golden lightning, but as always, it didn’t give off any indication that it was aware of the eight people in the room.

“You’re back, Ae?” Mao asked, glancing to him with a disappointed expression.

The others also looked in Ae’s direction when they were made aware of his consciousness. Ae couldn’t help but wonder whether he suddenly appeared or just woke up. It never happened before that they did not all wake up at the same time.

Ae glanced to Fara who was avoiding looking back at him.

She must’ve told them that I fought the Tyrant.

Ae looked over the group once more and sighed.

I suppose they weren’t notified of my so-called victory. Mao is disappointed because he didn’t make it to the Tyrant. Fara no doubt feels like she failed me, or perhaps she feels inadequate after getting obliterated by the Tyrant.

Ae’s thoughts were unusually calm and calculated. A tiny part of his conscious was aware of this fact. Did the [Serenity] and [Heart Void Method] skill work outside of battle or was this a symptom of his Corruption?

“I am sorry I couldn’t help you…” Fara said in a broken voice that mirrored her spirit.

Of course. We always thought we were getting somewhere—that we were becoming more powerful. Yet to be face something that powerful… it must be a great shock.

“Did you at least manage to get any Essence?” Mao asked.

These guys are no good. At least Mao has some fighting spirit left, but the others…

Ae glanced over them again and shook his head. Mao took that as a reply to his own question and sighed.

Do I give up on them? Is there anything I can even do? Maybe if I corrupt their Origins…

An arc of golden electricity suddenly shot up from the center of the room and carved a gash into the ceiling. It was so surprising that even Ae reacted to it. His heartbeat calmed down almost instantly and with freezing calmness he looked to the source.

Their Liege, Asivos, slowly rose to hover in the middle of the room and his words boomed out. “So you have finally completed your training. It was abysmal. None of you have learned how to properly use your powers, even after all this time.”

The words weren’t spoken by normal means. It was a series of sounds, spoken in the ancient language that makes up the meaning of their names. No human creature could ever speak those words; even names like “Ae” and “Fara” were just approximations.

Yet those same words caused the eight gathered vassals of Asivos to look up with an expression of confusion.

“Training?” Senon asked.

“Completed?” Belal asked.

Mao and Fara were the only ones who stared at Ae instead, their eyes betraying their thoughts. Did Ae defeat the Tyrant or was the purpose of the “training” to get three people to the Tyrant?

“Soon enough, you will all become proper vassals of mine. I have great hopes for you, my Chosen,” Asivos spoke, ignoring the questions. “We can stop with the Ancient Battlefield and move you forward to scouting the Prime before you go conquering the Planes.”

“What about our memories?” someone asked. Ae did not instantly recognize the voice, but he found the speaker soon enough. Sena was standing, both hands clenched into fists; they trembled with anger.

“Your memories?” Asivos asked. “You don’t have any memories. They are not yours anymore.”

“What?” Several of Asivos’s “Chosen” asked at the same time.

“You don’t seem to understand your position in this,” Asivos said. “You died. You don’t exist anymore. I did not steal your memories or your name. I gave you new ones, is that not true?”

Ae narrowed his eyes and inhaled sharply. Everyone else was taking a more passive reaction—no, it was a defeatist reaction.

“I saved you,” Asivos continued. “All I want in return is your submission. Obey me. I am not a selfish master—I will not take what is yours. I will shelter you. I will help you grow. When you are powerful enou—“

“Silence!” Ae interrupted Asivos, the fiery hatred in his heart finally overcoming the ice in his mind. “Shelter us? Help us grow?”

There was a sensation in the air—in the atmosphere itself—that Asivos’ attention was entirely on Ae.

“You did this to us. You did not save us. Your flames killed me and cost me everything I had. This life you “gave” me is not a life. We are your slaves. I will kill you, Asivos. I will take back everything you took from me. I will no—“

Your left arm has been destroyed.

There was a shimmer in the air and then Ae’s left arm went flying across the room, streaming bright red blood in its wake.

“You have already become the Midnight Sun of the End, huh?” Asivos asked, the cadence in his sounds somehow still coming across as calm and tranquil. “What a disappointment. No wonder you do not understand; your mind is so weak.”

Ae fell to his knees, holding the stump of where his left arm used to be. He did not feel pain, but the shock was more than enough. He could not figure out what it was that severed his arm in the first place. It was not an attack. It was nothing Asivos did that severed his arm. But it had to be. How could he have been so foolish to declare that he would kill Asivos? Compared to the Tyrant Ae fought… Asivos was unfathomable!