While Zero evasively fought Kairon, cloaked in void aura to dodge his techniques with darkness and spatial steps, Hoarfrost floated in a vacuum of darkness.

I’m unconscious, but I’m aware. This is not like the normal, brief unconsciousness that overtakes me during Absolute Zero.

I don’t know what’s going on.

He floated for a few more moments, his mind blank.

Then color and feeling twisted into existence out of nothing and Hoarfrost found himself in a room.

It was his childhood bedroom. It had old blue wallpapers, a bookshelf, a bed, and a desk with a chair. Golden sunlight streamed through the room through the blinds on the window. Everything felt completely real, from the sound of trees rustling outside of the window to the feeling of the floor’s rug on his feet.

It’s much smaller than I remembered. Hoarfrost thought, with a brief shock of nostalgia.

Before he could think of anything more, he noticed the dark figure sitting on his chair, facing him quietly.

Hoarfrost’s breathed in sharply as he took in the man’s unnatural appearance. The humanoid being was completely formed of shadow and he had no facial features.

This is Zero. Hoarfrost realized, his eyes wide.

That’s right, I am Zero. The man stood up without a sound. His voice reverberated in Hoarfrost’s mind instead of being spoken through sound. Or at least a fragment of him that was sent here to converse with you here in your vessel’s subconscious.

Hoarfrost paused, still staring. This was the being inside of him?

There was too much to say, but Hoarfrost eventually forced out his biggest concerns.

What are you and what do you want from me? Hoarfrost asked with his mind. It felt more natural to talk in that way in this space.

Zero held out a dark hand to stop Hoarfrost’s questions. I’m not going to answer the nonessential questions of someone who’s about to die. It would be a waste of time.

What do you mean? Hoarfrost asked.

You chose to accept my power, but you didn’t go through with it all the way. If you leave the fight as it is to the fragment of myself that is controlling your body, you will most likely die.

Hoarfrost looked blankly at the dark being. I don’t understand.

Zero continued. If you chose to develop your power at the monstrous pace you did when you were young, you could have easily been ready to accept my power completely.

But as you are now, having rejected this power for so long, you aren’t ready for it yet. You were overwhelmed by it and fell unconscious.

As a result, your body is rejecting my void animus, so as my fragment uses it, it causes massive damage throughout your body. I am keeping it to a minimum as you willed, but it is still too much since you chose to use it against such a difficult opponent for your level.

Hoarfrost paused for a moment, his eyes drifting across the room as he processed the information. Then he looked back at Zero.

So what do I have to do?

Zero leaned forward and replied.

You can either call off the whole operation and give up on fighting Kairon, or you can accept my help in changing your vessel such that you can conduct void animus without rupturing your body.

However, those changes will be permanent and will replace many of your regular senses with the void senses necessary to properly handle void animus, among other things.

Hoarfrost paused, for an even longer period this time. He was all too aware of the changes his power could affect on his body.

“Among other things,” huh? What an understatement.

Whenever Hoarfrost went a little overboard on cold animus, it already made him feel distinctly wrong and not himself. With how deep and powerful void animus was would he even be human after such a change?

To willingly let the being within him change whatever it wanted was such a gross violation of the restraint he had been practicing for so long that he almost dismissed the thought immediately.

But he didn’t. He had decided to take this step already. He just had to take it very, very carefully.

I have just one question before I answer. Why should I trust you?

Zero answered immediately.

My only objective is for you to use my powers as much as possible. Therefore, I want you to live long and become stronger just as you do.

Hoarfrost nodded, a small frown on his face.

I see. So you don’t care about lives other than my own.

Hoarfrost looked at Zero with a hard expression. In that case, our goals don’t exactly align, do they?

I am confused. Zero replied. Do you not want to become the strongest? Did you not say you would gain power and position first, then worry about morals afterward?

That’s right. That’s why I’m going to accept your power. Hoarfrost said.

Zero stepped forward and held out his hand. You made the right choice. He sounded slightly relieved.

But Hoarfrost did not take his hand.

However, I still don’t regret restraining my power and ignoring you all this time. I learned a lot from making that choice.

I’m going to use that willpower that I’ve built up to accept your power in my own way. In a way that doesn’t change who I am.

Zero was silent as he looked into Hoarfrost’s determined eyes.

Before Zero could reply, Hoarfrost closed his eyes.

This is my mind, so I should be able to do this…

Hoarfrost focused his mind and imagined the dream room twisting out of existence.

When he opened his eyes, he was alone in the darkness once more. Zero was gone.

It worked. Hoarfrost could control his subconsciousness to create dreams after experiencing Zero use it on him. All it used was concentration and imagination, both of which came naturally to an adept animus user.

He could use this.

In order to gain Zero’s power on my own terms, I first need to reawaken my old self: the primal side of me that had once monstrously sought power.

I wanted to keep that part of myself sealed, but I have no choice. Without that pure strength, I will be overwhelmed by the power of Zero’s void animus.

I need to recreate that memory…

Hoarfrost paused, mustering up the willpower to take a step into one of his nightmares.

Then he took a deep breath, concentrated deeply, and created a dream around himself.

Hoarfrost was in his late teens, sitting in the same cross-legged way on a snowy battlefield, hidden behind a rock close to a column of marching soldiers. All of his senses once again felt exactly the same as reality, down to the feeling of his animus within himself.

His orders had been to delay the enemy as they were marching with a simple blizzard, but Hoarfrost became caught up in the moment as he started conjuring the storm. He hit the beginnings of an epiphany.

This method of creating a blizzard using a specific cycle of wind as well as cold allows me to create lower temperatures than I’ve ever reached before.

If I integrate that into my body… I can grow much, much stronger.

And then his hunger awakened.

He immediately pushed this technique to its limits, creating the coldest temperature he could possibly muster within himself. His skin started glowing a blinding blue-white from the sheer force of the cold animus.

His body screamed as it started freezing to death, but he forced himself to stay conscious and pushed forward, letting parts of himself die if needed.

But Hoarfrost knew that he wouldn’t die. A super’s body had an amazing capacity for survival after all.

That’s why the parts of himself that didn’t die were forced to evolve as he clung to life.

However, to reach the maximum cold in the center of his body, Hoarfrost was inadvertently creating an immense storm of cold around him as a by-product.

Though it was day, the tempest of wind and white animus exploded outwards from Hoarfrost in such intensity that it quickly swallowed the blue sky in darkness. The temperature dropped lower than any other surface temperature ever created by weather.

As a result, the enemies that were meant to be distracted by him called out in surprise at the sudden, intense storm that raged around them. They stumbled and fell to the ground one by one, frost instantly covering their winter suits and combat helmets. They couldn’t even hear each other’s final cries over the howling sound of the wind.

He felt a new understanding growing within him, a new ability to pass his limits, and he wouldn’t stop until he grasped it. He wouldn’t stop until he felt the euphoria of his own evolution resonate within him. Even if the entire world froze over as he concentrated.

He rode that feeling until the end. When he stood up when it was all over, a part of him had died.

But the cold aura that poured out of him was colossal. It was approaching world-power level.

His entire body sang with exhilaration as he picked his way through the dead bodies…

Hoarfrost cut the dream off and he was floating in darkness once more. He had seen enough.

That old feeling of desire was raging within him once more.

It’s been a while since I’ve felt this much hunger. I feel like I can take in all the power in the world right now.

Then Hoarfrost controlled his feelings to remember the task at hand.

I can do this. I can accept the void power as I am now.

Even if I have to revert to my old self, I’ve conquered that self before and I can do it again.

It’s time for a new epiphany.

He forced himself through the dark barrier of unconsciousness and felt the presence of his body once more. He felt excruciating pain as he felt the void animus burning through his veins.

Bring it on!

He increased the amount of void animus and forced it through his organs like he had done on that day with the blizzard. He stayed conscious and continued forward, single-mindedly pursuing his goal through the blazing pain and overwhelming stimuli.

I’m just getting warmed up…

Even though it had been years, the life and death struggle of conquering new powers came easily to Hoarfrost. Almost terrifyingly so.

Sometime before Hoarfrost began his evolution in the outside world, Zero danced in and out of space as Crimson golems attacked him from every direction with flaming spears.

Kairon had cast a resurrection spell to control the Temple’s golems with his different personalities, so they all now burned for revenge as they fought against Zero and Thirteen. Although their bodies were of obsidian golems with glowing red veins, their faces had become human, presumably, the different faces Kairon once wore, and their eyes glowed purple from Kairon’s Soul Projection Animus.

This is quite an effective way to exhaust me in a battle of attrition, Zero thought as he distorted space behind him to deflect a flaming spear from striking the back of his neck. He spun around and struck his palm into the golem and spatially rearranged the golem’s inside circuitry, making its human eyes roll into the back of its head as it fell limply to the ground.

No matter how much I destroy these golems, they just heal anyway using the power of the Temple. I barely have seconds to prepare a serious attack against Kairon, while he has all the time he wants. The best Zero could do as he avoided the attacks was to try out different methods of disabling the golems in the most efficient way possible.

Kairon simply looked at him with sharp eyes, a few circuits activated presumably to control the golems and keep them fueled with Temple animus as they targeted him.

There was no sense of impatience or madness from Kairon anymore, but rather a predatory desire to win at all costs. He had sharpened his burning, mad desire for revenge down to a cold knife’s edge.

It seemed the man was prepared to wait until Zero was forced to make some sort of last stand.

He isn’t trying to simply enjoy this anymore. He’s completely serious. Since he knows I’m at a disadvantage if he keeps me occupied at this level, he’s not going to give me an opportunity by making another move himself. He’s waiting to counter me instead.

As I thought, as the situation stands, Thirteen’s involvement is still necessary. I can hold out for a couple more minutes…

As he dodged, a momentary light flashed behind his eyes and memories of speaking with Hoarfrost in a dream room integrated itself into his mind.

The fragment of himself that Zero had sent to speak with Hoarfrost had integrated back into him.

I see. So Hoarfrost wants to evolve in his own way. Zero thought.

It’s risky, but I won’t betray his trust. I’ll have to go along with it and buy him time.

Zero hissed as another spear nicked Hoarfrost’s uniform, searing his flesh instantly. Even with his skills, this vessel was very hard to use void animus with, leading to him eventually making little mistakes as the body didn’t respond as he expected it to.

And the wounds were just piling up faster as Hoarfrost’s body became more damaged by the unnatural void animus burning through it.

He eyed a group of four golems as they slowly approached him.

On top of that, they’re starting to fight in groups? How tedious.

They rushed him at once from all directions. Zero opened his mouth and exhaled, blasting two of the golems away with an intense wind of ice. He then waited until the last moment as the two other golems rushed up to stab him, then switched places with one of them, causing the golems to stab each other.

He spatially stepped away, panting. Two of the golems had been flung across the Throne Room and covered in frost, while the other two were on fire from their own attacks. However, Crimson Animus was already rising off of the ground like blood and entering the golem’s orifices, patching their wounds with brute force. This method wouldn’t be effective either; they would be healed in seconds.

But he couldn’t look at them anymore. He turned to face yet more golems as they approached.

After a few more long moments of fighting and stalling, Zero felt the stirrings of Hoarfrost’s mind breaking into consciousness.

Hoarfrost must be starting his evolution. I should give him some…

Hoarfrost interrupted Zero's thoughts by overloading his vessel with void animus. Void animus started pouring out of his orifices in a dark flood.

Zero hesitated for a second, stunned, as dark animus gushed out of his mouth and skin. He felt void animus rage through his vessel’s organs.

This human… is pretty crazy.

Zero used a last push of animus to send a shockwave of freezing air in all directions, shoving all the golems back. Then he sat down with his legs crossed and his hands on his lap, as Hoarfrost had previously done to evolve his power.

Since Hoarfrost decided to do it by himself, I can’t help him. I have to leave it all to him…

… and to Thirteen to protect us.

The boy's life is in your hands, Aspect of Strength. I know you're also curious to see what he can do.

Meanwhile, both Thirteen and Kairon blinked in shock after watching Zero send out a shockwave of cold, then sit down in the middle of the battle with void animus gushing out of him.

After a moment of hesitation, Kairon narrowed his eyes and raised a hand. His red eye glowed and a ball of crimson fire formed in his hand. The red fire condensed until it became like white-hot molten metal, which he released in a bright bolt that streaked towards the sitting Hoarfrost.

In an explosion of sparks, the condensed bar of crimson animus exploded in all directions.

Thirteen stood in front of the cross-legged Hoarfrost, a smoking hand outstretched where it had blocked the attack. A gust of wind blasted the room from the speed of his movement.

“Betting on me protecting you while you evolve is pretty brazen, Zero,” Thirteen said, his eyes glowing red, “But it’s not a bad decision.”

Kairon immediately began charging his best techniques. This outcome is even better than destroying Hoarfrost first with Thirteen just standing by. Since Thirteen chose to protect his disciple, he will have a massive handicap on him that will seal my victory.

As long as I aim my attacks at Hoarfrost, Thirteen will have to block them head-on instead of dodging!

Kairon’s eyes glowed purple as he directed the golems to all charge Hoarfrost at once. The golems shouted as they charged forward with new energy, spears ablaze with red and eyes glowing purple.

Thirteen snapped his fingers and they all exploded into crimson flames, brightening the room for several seconds before they were burned to ash.

What? What is that sheer power? Kairon wondered, but he continued to cast techniques despite his shock. His circuits glowed gold and he raised a hand.

Ultimate Circuit: Hundred-gun Arsenal

Golden energy blueprints of turrets formed in a circle around Thirteen and Hoarfrost, specifically pointing at the meditating disciple.

Thirteen once again snapped his fingers and the animus of the technique exploded into flame, dissipating the guns before they could fully form.

Kairon hesitated. That was an ultimate technique, using the full extent of my vessel’s strength, and yet he overwhelmed it with brute force?

What trick is he using?

“You should save your strength for my disciple,” Thirteen said, “When he wakes up, he should be strong enough to cause problems for you.”

There was indeed an incredibly ominous aura pouring out of Hoarfrost as he meditated that was only increasing with time, but Kairon ignored it, focusing on the fact that Thirteen was still the main threat.

“If you’re able to prove yourself stronger than him, you could take his place as Twelve,” Thirteen said, “You should consider…”

Join you?

Kairon roared and poured all of his animus down his arm. Red light glowing from his fist filled the room.

From the beginning, he’s been calm and now he’s easily thwarting my techniques.

It has to be some sort of bluff.

After all the time I spend gathering strength for my revenge, right when I think I’ve finally done it, the man that should be broken doesn’t even think of me as a threat.

How? Why? There should be no way for him to be that strong.

I can’t accept it.

Kairon leaped forward like a comet of red animus, his teeth bared furiously and his eyes streaks of burning red madness.

Just die! Just let me be free!

Thirteen’s eyes glowed red as he watched Kairon charge up then blasted towards him. At the last moment, he blurred to intercept Kairon.

A resounding boom shook the room.

A body catapulted into the back wall, then slumped onto the ground. Dust exploded outwards in all directions as the obsidian wall cracked. Crimson Animus steamed red out of the crack in the Temple wall.

Kairon groaned, then coughed wetly amongst a pile of obsidian rubble and smoke, trying to stand and falling back down.

Thirteen calmly walked over to where Kairon lay, fallen.

“Out of respect for your strength, I’ll let you know something,” Thirteen said, his eyes glowing in the haze.

Kairon could only stare up at the man looming above him as his broken body healed.

“Just because you can surpass Alister in strength, you think you can consume the legacy of the Crimson Kings? How could you inherit something you never even understood in the first place?”

Thirteen smiled.

“The Crimson Kings were just a stepping stone. Now that I've been incarnated, I have no real use for them anymore.”

Kairon’s eyes widened. He had been healed, but he couldn’t bring himself to stand up to the being in front of him.

“You… you’re not an Aspect in a human vessel. You’re Red, the Aspect of Strength, in the flesh.”

Thirteen’s dark smile was the only answer Kairon needed.

“You see now why it’s ridiculous to have anyone else claim the title of Crimson King in front of me?” Thirteen said, “I can’t stand it when you all ridicule the order I spent so long perfecting when it served its purpose so well.”

No… It can’t be. Kairon thought, cold inside. He clenched his fist and grimaced. I was never a threat to him this whole time.

There’s no way to stand up against an Aspect. All you can do is obey them. I know that all too well.

And yet… I still believed in freedom for us humans this whole time.

“But it’s not over for you yet,” Thirteen said, “There are still two things left for you to do. If you do them well, you might be able to live.”

Kairon laughed darkly*. You were the one at the center of my suffering, Red. I’ve lived so long, yet accomplished so little, all because of you, and now you want me to act like your dog until the end?*

Even if the man in front of him was an Aspect, his blunt audacity made Kairon’s blood boil and his fighting spirit rise again.

I don’t care if I die. No, I know I will.

But I will never obey you. I’ll find a way to ruin your plans. I’ll go down making your life as hard as possible. I swear I will.

Kairon stood up as the last of his wounds sealed and glared at Thirteen eye to eye, his circuits glowing and ready for battle once more.

“Now now, why are your eyes so clear and straightforward? I thought insanity suited you much better,” Thirteen said. "Though this new attitude might help you with your first task."

"What you need to do first is show me which is stronger…”

Thirteen stabbed a finger at Kairon’s chest.

“Your centuries of hard work…”

Thirteen gestured down the aisle of the Throne Room at where Hoarfrost was meditating, surrounded in an undulating pillar of void aura. A ring of frost had crept across the entire floor, radiating outwards from where Hoarfrost sat.

At that moment, his cross-legged form exploded with a shockwave of void aura in all directions, rippling the space in the room and dropping the temperature. The veins of animus in the Temple’s walls and floor flickered on and off as the eerie aura temporarily negated all of the animus in the room.

“...Or his raw, monstrous talent?”

Hoarfrost slowly stood up. The change was complete.

Black veins snaked across his pale skin and his entire body was wreathed in void animus. It streamed off of his skin like a living shadow and cloaked his white Ultimate League Uniform in darkness. The space warped and cracked around him, making his entire image shake like a mirage.

Then Hoarfrost opened his eyes. They were pitch black.