*Warning: Mild Gore Content.*

Crossroad City, Great Human Imperium.

Several dead bodies lay on the ground, painting the cemented roads with red blood.

Three men walk up while holding bladed weapons.

"Tsk, these damn Imperium guards! How dare they trick us?!", one of them shouted.

"At least it's over, for now. Leave them! Come, others said that the fights in the skirmish event have started!"

Inside a pub, the crowd gathered with blood-stained on their bodies. However, the stenching smell didn't bother them one bit.

The magic screen showed the Higher Elders entering the coliseum through the opened rift.

"What's this now? Where are the matches?"

"That young man named Zachariel interfered in the last match!"

"Zachariel? That Zachariel Strom who's been famous for a while now?"

"Yes, you're right! Don't you all remember? Today is the day for their trial-by-combat!"

The people were enlightened and were suddenly interested. They know about the long-awaited trial-by-combat between these two heated young people.

"I was told that the Royal Family is bent on going against that young man! There were rumors that they were behind the wiping out of the Strom Household!"

The others snorted in disgust.

"What Royal Family shit! They're too despicable! Once this is over, we're going to march to the Imperium Capital City and show that contemptuous emperor what justice is!"

"Rargh!"

"Yeah!"

Everyone shouted in unison, raising their arms with clenched fists up high.

…

"Wyngella, you're here.", Thalanil smiled as he mused over the arrival of the Higher Elders from the Tower.

Supreme Elder Wyngella led the pack.

She still wore her exquisitely revealing dress, making the men and women alike salivate on her beauty.

Zachariel calmly gazed over her goddess figure without any trace of infatuation or reverence.

Supreme Elder Wyngella already experienced his indifferent expression from before and didn't take it to heart anymore.

"Thalanil, you should be addressing me as Supreme Elder Wyngella.", she reminded him of his position in the discussion.

"Oh, is that what you have learned after years of becoming an Elder in the Tower, Wyngella? I didn't know that the archives over there would induce such disgraceful behavior over time.", Thalanil mocked.

Supreme Elder Wyngella's eyes twitched after hearing his statement.

`This damn old man! Why is he not dead yet?!`

As far as her memory could recall, Thalanil had become the Great Elden Conglomerate's selected High Leader long before the Great Human Imperium was even founded.

She was born a thousand years ago, which was 600+ years after the Imperium established its foothold in Pandragea.

Thalanil took her in as his student, mentoring the then young Prospect Wyngella until she became what she was today.

If not for him, she wouldn't be a Supreme Elder of the Tower, holding a huge prestige that not many in Pandragea could dare to compare.

Seeing the conflicted Wyngella, Thalanil became elated inside.

`Girl, learn your place.`

She had become too arrogant after becoming an Elder in the Tower.

"Enough! I want to get this over with!", Jeremias interrupted their interlude.

He was fed up with these successive interruptions all because Zachariel had shown himself.

Thalanil was annoyed by Jeremias's disrespectful tone towards him and the Higher Elders of the Tower.

"Jeremias Pickler of the Great Human Imperium, since you want this to be over with, we'll be handing over the victory to the humans for this match. I, Thalanil, the great leader of the Elden Conglomerate, in behalf of our young Prospect Althea Quelsades, forfeits this match."

He didn't want to argue more against this disrespectful kid.

However, his words shocked everyone.

"Your Highness, that's-!", Elder Gorfo was left speechless.

It was one way to be overly obsessed with Zachariel, but to think he would hand over a loss on an important match just so that it would then proceed to Zachariel giving him an answer to his offer.

The other eldens had the same thought.

"Father, why?!", Thessalia's voice cracked in sadness.

She had always been winning ever since she started cultivating. Not one of her peers could match up to her, even Al'dous himself.

Her heart was wrenched in anguish and hatred. She lost her match, her father didn't walk over and check if she was okay.

Now, he forfeited a match just because Zachariel interfered and he wanted to get the human's answer as soon as possible.

"Princess Thessalia!", Veidora went over to comfort her but Thessalia pushed him away.

"Get away from me!", she knelt while crying.

Her red eyes caught the sight of Zachariel and abruptly walked out.

"Thessalia, wait!", Al'dous and the rest followed. They knew what was on Thessalia's mind.

…

On the other hand, the humans were brimmed with happiness after Thalanil forfeited the match of his own volition. It was different from the depressive mood on the elden's side.

After a moment of silence, the crowd shouted and cheered as they win this year's annual skirmish event.

"The Eldens forfeited the final match!", the announcer loudly proclaimed.

"For this year, the Great Human Imperium takes the win!"

"Long live the emperor!"

"For the Great Human Imperium!"

The coliseum shook because of the uproar.

On the platform, Jeremias knelt and let out tears of joy.

"Yes! I have won! I have proven myself!", he bathed himself after his 'victory'.

The bellows quietened after a while and the human Prospects, together with Matthias gathered on the platform.

Emperor Marcus stood from his seat and started his speech.

"My young Prospects of the Great Human Imperium, you have proven yourselves during your early days as an aspiring great fighter for our human empire."

"I will remember your efforts and will reward you plentifully for your sacrifices and the victories you have amassed during this event."

"Sir Matthias Van Houten, I once again, thank you for your venerable service to the empire and its people. You have yet to disappoint it, which I expect, you never will."

Matthias bowed slightly without a hint of emotion on his face.

Emperor Marcus continued.

"And for the young students out there. Please take this opportunity to inspire yourselves to become better and stronger than before. Our enemies are countless and ruthless. Only through power can we be victorious. Only through power can we become the greatest and strongest in this world!"

He raised his arms and proudly proclaimed.

"All hail the Great Human Imperium!"

The crowd gathered their voices and followed Emperor Marcus.

"All hail the Great Human Imperium!"

The Higher Elders from the Tower indifferently gazed at this ignoble celebration. However, they weren't that arrogant and had these people celebrate like monkeys.

Zachariel calmly gazed at their departing figures.

"Did you wish you were there instead?", Althea went over on his side.

"I wish that all of this would be over quickly.", Zachariel replied, "Are you okay now?"

"Yes, thank you.", Althea bowed.

Zachariel hesitated before speaking out.

"I'm sorry, Althea. For what happened a few days ago. I didn't mean to…"

"It's okay, Zachariel.", she touched his face, leaning closer to him.

"As… long as it's you…", she blushed.

Zachariel wondered what she meant by that.

`As long as it's me?`

He was confused.

Elder Gorfo observed them and noticed that Zachariel remained unaffected by Althea's fluctuations of her emotions.

`This young boy. He can resist Althea's negative aura of emotion. And there's no sign of any use of mana nor qi essence to resist it. Strange.`

Even more so, the way how affectionate Althea was to him.

`She's even touching him now without a hint of doubt or… fear unlike before. Can this man be really her fated one?`

He remembered a divination from a Higher Elder from before that only Althea's fated one could relieve her of all the pain she was going through, though the vagueness of that person's characteristics left the eldens confused for years to come.

`To think it was a human all along.`, Elder Gorfo sighed, `The others are surely not going to like this.`

…

Back on the stands.

Dean James didn't let this moment go and approached Emperor Marcus alongside the other deans and instructors.

"Your Imperial Majesty, we have won thanks to your unending blessings and greatness that shone upon our Prospects and students in this skirmish event."

Emperor Marcus nodded.

"Good work Instructor Jaylen. You have mentored my son and the other Prospects with excellent skills. I will not forget this favor from you."

Instructor Jaylen bowed, restraining to form a smile on his face.

"It is my duty, Your Imperial Majesty."

Emperor Marcus turned his head and looked towards Thalanil.

"Your Highness, Thalanil. I am grateful for your-"

Thalanil waved his hands and cut him off.

"Enough with the pleasantries, Emperor Marcus. I don't have time for it and I am full of it. Shouldn't we proceed to the next part of this event?!", he said impatiently.

His words were heard by the Higher Elders of the Tower.

"Thalanil is right. We are wasting our time with this nonsense interlude.", the devil Higher Elder, Targaros, concurred.

Supreme Elder Wyngella lifted off the ground and was about to announce something when Emperor Marcus stopped her.

"Wait, that young boy was imprisoned in the Imperium Dungeon under the reason that he is affiliated with the dark underground factions. What rights does he have to attend here and complete the trial by combat with my son?!"

"Under the assumption that he is affiliated with the dark underground factions, Emperor Marcus.", Higher Elder Rashomon corrected.

This infuriated Emperor Marcus, clenching his fists with gritted teeth.

"Still-!"

"Enough!", Supreme Elder Wyngella's voice ravaged Emperor Marcus's ears.

His body shook slightly before he felt a tinge of pain in his head.

"Your Imperial Majesty!"

The deans and instructors, alongside an armored burly middle-aged man, went over to him.

Emperor Marcus knelt on the ground, holding his head with his left hand while he gazed upon Supreme Elder Wyngella.

Her cold and aloof figure ignored Emperor Marcus and gently floated towards the center of the coliseum.

As she did so, her voice echoed along the way, making everyone hear her words loud and clear.

"These two young boys are both suspects, Emperor Marcus; with Kane Cromwell suspected to carry a deathly curse, and Zachariel Strom suspected to be affiliated with the dark underground factions."

Supreme Elder Wyngella paused for a moment, slightly adjusting her head in the direction of Zachariel.

"I would like for these two people to come on the platform, please."

Zachariel made a deep breath.

"I sense that you are confident. It puts me at ease.", Althea smiled.

Zachariel smiled, leaving her and Elder Gorfo.

His deep red eyes glowed, with the disposition of a calm and confident warrior.

Kane already arrived at the platform, arrogantly looking at Zachariel.

`Let's see how long will that indifferent look in yours last!`

He imagined the moments where he would soon hear Zachariel screaming in agony as Kane blasted him with lightning strikes all around.

`The ignoble should bow down! Never will I let these fools take over me just because they think they have better talent than me!`

Zachariel had started going up the platform when a loud shout gathered his attention.

"You! How dare you bewitch my father and make us lose face in front of everyone!", Thessalia angrily bellowed.

One could see the nerves in her eyes bulging like a burly man's muscles. She could no longer contain the hatred in her heart.

"Thessalia!", Elder Gorfo and the rest of the eldens tried to calm her down.

"Thessalia, what are you doing?!", Althea reprimanded.

She didn't like it when Thessalia voiced her hatred at Zachariel, blocking the brown-haired elven girl's sight of him.

"Out of my way, you damn cursed angel!", Thessalia waved her hands far away. She didn't want to touch Althea at any cost.

Zachariel turned around, "Althea, move along.", indifferently requesting her.

"But…", she hesitated.

"Just let us be.", waving his hands.

Althea slowly stepped to the sides.

Thessalia now had a view of Zachariel, closer than before. However, right at that moment, a wave of overwhelming aura hit her.

She found herself in another dimension, floating endlessly like a weightless fly. Her muscles were bounded by a strong force, locking her movements.

`Whe-where am I?!`, she shuddered in fear.

At that moment, the figure of a man passed her sight. If Supreme Elder Wyngella was here, she would be able to reminisce about a similar experience of who and what this figure was.

`Gre-green eyes? Why do I feel like this aura is familiar?!`

The man stared straight at her and she couldn't help but gulp in nervousness as his looks emanated a chilling aura that froze her entire body.

Then an infinite wave of nightmares entered Thessalia's head. Each scene was painted differently, yet contained a similar theme.

Death and absolute destruction of life. The rotting bones and stench of blood that were of various colors assaulted her nose.

Some of them smelled like puke, while others were no different from poop itself. It was disgusting and gut-wrenching.

The organs were laid out to the outside world, displaying their gorish appearance.

Who knew what she was feeling inside?

Nothing remained but only a figure in the distance, calmly gazing at the sky above which she was unfamiliar.

That person was tall, at least 2 meters. Heavily armored with sharp edges around its bulky armor that was painted in pure black, mixed with some green glowing lines around.

Then the scene changed again.

She stepped on something muddy. When her eyes looked down below, she realized she was standing on a pit of deformed bodies that rotted in eternity.

`No!`, she tried to shout but no voice came out of her mouth.

`Make this stop! Make it stop! No, please!`

She begged in her exhausted mind. It was already taxing to see the embroidered bodies around; much more being transported to each scene worse than the last one.

As a young woman who have yet to see and experience the 'real world', it was nothing short of a nightmare itself.

Her wishes seemed to have been heard. After a 'while', she returned to the present.