Klaus stared at her blankly, caught off guard. For a moment, he didn't know what to say. What kind of information did she want? And what exactly was the price she spoke of? He could only hope it wasn't anything too harsh… or too costly.
Because Klaus—despite appearances—was a very greedy man.
He didn't always look the part, and many of his actions might suggest otherwise, but deep down, the truth remained. He was greedy. His wealth, his people, his tech, his memories—he hoarded everything like a gluttonous vermin, draining the world around him bit by bit.
Lich had even made the comparison once. Said Klaus wasn't all that different from Loki.
The audacity of that skeleton, comparing him to that loathsome bird. And yet… Klaus couldn't exactly disagree either.
Sighing, Klaus leaned back. Even though the [Nourishing Flames] had healed him, exhaustion still clung to his bones.
"Fine then... I'll give you three truths."
Amelia leaned forward, her expression turning contemplative. After a moment, she gave a slight nod.
"Then I'll give you three questions. First one—" she paused, eyes narrowing slightly, "—when do you think would be the perfect time to strike the Great Clans?"
Klaus blinked. His eyes widened in disbelief.
For real?
No way...
Bloody hell, she's serious.
He exhaled slowly, rubbing his temple.
"Hmm... not now, at the very least," he admitted. "But if my calculations are right, the Realm War will break out in a few months. It won't be an all-out war at first, probably just probing skirmishes… but eventually?"
He met her gaze, his tone darkening.
"Eventually, both clans will turn the world upside down."
Amelia chuckled, her voice melodic and strangely pleasant to the ear. Her alluring scarlet lips curled into a satisfied smile as she massaged her injured shoulder.
"Hahaha... No, no... I don't think it'll be the Great Clans who turn the world upside down, Lightbringer."
Klaus frowned, uncertain of her meaning, and gestured for her to continue.
Amelia's smile deepened. She winked playfully.
"Well, of course. It'll be us. We'll be the ones to throw this world into a new era of chaos."
Klaus narrowed his eyes, intrigued by her cryptic confidence.
"And how, exactly? We're not strong enough... yet."
She shrugged with calm ease, unfazed by his bluntness.
"Not yet," she agreed. "And it's not just the two of us. There are four. Four kings of a new generation—each destined to build their own empire and wage war against one another..."
She looked at him with a spark of excitement in her crimson eyes.
"...a war for supremacy."
Klaus was surprised—shocked, even—but despite that, a wild grin crept onto his face.
"Ha… Hahaha… Four? So you're saying that… Now that's interesting."
Amelia nodded, a gleam of appreciation in her eyes as she acknowledged his ambition.
"Indeed. I'm in Chernobyl. You're in South America. As for the other two…"
She paused, letting the weight of her words settle.
"The first is in Egypt. His name is Set, and he's proclaimed himself a Pharaoh. He's a Transcendent like me and, for now, remains hidden from the Great Clans. But he's not just surviving—he's being worshipped by his followers."
Klaus nodded, deep in thought. Now wasn't this curious? Two Transcendents, each with their own factions, living in secret while nurturing ambitions to usurp humanity's throne… A Pharaoh, huh? Interesting fellow.
Meanwhile, Amelia continued, her voice tinged with excitement for what was to come—which, more than likely, would be a devastating war between them.
"And the last one is Gaia… She's taken over the Amazon rainforest. Her followers are… well, weirdos, to say the least."
Klaus raised an eyebrow in confusion. Weren't they all already weird enough?
"What's so weird about them?"
Amelia laughed, shaking her head in amusement.
"Well, for starters, they aren't even people. I don't know what they are. And as for Gaia… she's a Transcendent too, and quite a powerful one. Maybe even as strong as me. I can't say for certain."
Klaus felt a bit disturbed by the revelations. So… there were two other monsters as powerful as Amelia? That was definitely not good news. And all of them were vying for the throne of humanity?
…Wait.
They might not even want to rule humans. Not in the traditional sense.
Gaia, huh?
So four insane monarchs... Bloody hell. He wasn't backing down from this. He'd already set his sights on destroying the Great Clans to build his own. And now, three more maniacs had shown up with the same ambition?
But the truth was, Klaus didn't necessarily want to sit on the same throne the old ones did.
Fuck, this is getting complicated.
He looked up at her, his gaze sharp.
Klaus understood his situation better now—but what he didn't understand was why she was telling him all this. What did she stand to gain?
…Wait.
A low chuckle escaped him.
So that's how it is.
"So you want me to declare war, huh?"
Amelia raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised.
"Oh... you really are smart." She smiled. "Well, yes. I told you all of this because both sides are pressuring me. I need their attention elsewhere. If they focus on you, I'll finally have some breathing room to prepare."
She leaned back casually.
"Consider that half the price for all this information."
Klaus narrowed his eyes, irritation flickering across his face.
"What's the other half?"
She sighed, shaking her head slowly.
"Not yet. First, I still have two truths I need to learn. My second question is about the Great Citadels. I know about Bastion, Night Garden, and Ravenheart… but what about the others? I need to know."
Klaus grimaced, reluctant to share such sensitive information, but he had little choice.
"The Great Citadels… all of them were actually created by Daemons."
Amelia leaned forward, eyes wide with curiosity.
"I see… that's intriguing."
Klaus nodded.
"Yes. As for the unknown citadels in the Dream Realm… I do know a few. In the Nightmare Desert—a death zone no one dares enter—there's a pyramid that's actually a tomb created by the Demon of Dread. Then there's one deep in the Underworld, created by the Nether. That tomb is incredibly dangerous, and reaching it seems nearly impossible. As for the other citadel in the Underworld… I have no information. It's said to be inhabited by creatures of darkness, making it an extremely deadly place. If you want my advice about great citadels, it's simpler to kill the Sovereigns who rule them and claim the citadels than to try conquering ownerless ones."
Amelia laughed, throwing her head back. Her crimson, reptilian eyes shimmered with raw bloodlust.
"I see... Well then, here's my third question. How can I become Supreme?"
Klaus nodded, his expression unreadable—but deep down, he was grimacing in irritation. Why this question? Why not anything else?
"Well… You need to challenge the Fourth Nightmare for that. Everyone knows it."
Amelia stared at him blankly.
"While I am a bit reckless, wild, and enjoy a good time... I'm not an idiot. You know what I mean."
Klaus blinked once.
Well... Fuck.
He cursed inwardly. Of course he knew what she meant—how to become Supreme naturally.
Klaus's teacher was Azarax, the Conqueror of a Hundred Thrones. If anyone knew how to ascend beyond the limits, it was him. And through him, Klaus knew too.
But that didn't mean he was ready to give up something so valuable.
He could lie—he always could. But this wasn't that simple. This wasn't a negotiation between equals. As bitter as it was to admit, Klaus was inferior to her in strength. And worse, she could likely detect lies. There was no doubt in his mind that she was using a Memory capable of doing just that.
If he tried to dodge the truth or twist it too far and she wasn't satisfied, she'd ask again—only this time, the question would be sharper, more specific, with no loopholes to escape through.
And if she did realize he was lying?
Well... it might just cost him his life.
He forced out a strained smile, his voice sounding hurt and laced with spite—lacking its usual pleasant tone.
"F-fine… bitch. Natural Supremacy is possible. You just have to do something so outrageous that the world itself will be dumbfounded. As a Saint, you broke the limits of the mundane and expanded—becoming intertwined with the world. A Sovereign's soul must claim authority over a part of reality… That's the essence of Supremacy. But you also need a catalyst—a supreme act of defiance. That step is personal. Unique to each individual."
He paused, his gaze cold.
"That's all I'll say."
Amelia's eyes gleamed with greed and malice. It was obvious she wasn't satisfied—she knew Klaus was holding back, that he understood far more about Supremacy than he let on. But there was nothing she could do. It wasn't like Klaus would just start lecturing her on ascension. So, all she could do was nod… and sigh.
Amelia had intended to let him go—if he satisfied her. But his final answer had angered her. That much was clear. And while she couldn't kill him because of their agreement… she could still make him pay.
"Well," she said, her voice low and sharp. "It's time you pay for your life."
Klaus nodded grimly, unsure of what she would ask.
"What is it?" he asked.
Amelia grinned, cruel sparks dancing in her beautiful yet harrowing eyes. Then, white flickers of light began forming a shape in her hand. A storage Memory—he recognized the signs immediately.
From the glowing bag, she pulled out an obsidian dagger. It was simple in design, but unmistakably made from bone.
Still, despite its simplicity, Klaus could sense the sinister aura surrounding the dagger. It radiated wickedness and malice. He didn't know what she intended to do with it, but he sincerely hoped he wouldn't be wounded by it… Something told him that healing such a wound would be exquisitely difficult.
Amelia glanced at the dagger with a playful smile before tossing it to the ground at Klaus's feet. Her eyes sharpened with clear hostility as she spoke coldly:
"Pick it up."
Klaus grimaced, silently cursing himself for raising a flag—and reluctantly bent down to pick up the dagger.
Amelia grinned and gave him a mocking wave.
"Let's play a game. Rock, paper, scissors. If you win, you walk away without a scratch. If I win, not only do you have to follow my orders… but you'll also have to endure a strike from me."
Klaus stared at her, utterly baffled.
A game? Seriously? Come on, just let me go already. This ain't you, twin. Yo, let's talk about it. Amelia, this ain't you, girl. What do you mean, 'pick it up'? I know what happens after that line in movies!
But alas, she was serious. And no matter how much Klaus cried in his mind, he had no choice. At the very least, this felt like a sign—it was time to gamble.
Fuck you, Isaac...
"Fine then… let's get this over with."
They nodded at each other and raised their hands. Klaus grinned internally.
Go, go, go! I believe in you, right hand! You've been with me through everything—don't betray me now!
Amelia threw scissors.
Klaus threw paper.
He froze, staring at his hand in disbelief. Then he sighed, looked up at the sky, and closed his eyes.
"Bleh…"
A brutal impact slammed him into the ground. He clutched his jaw, now hanging loose, blood pouring from his mouth as he coughed violently.
He turned his gaze toward Amelia, hatred burning in his eyes. She only smiled sweetly, then drew imaginary lines across her own cheeks.
"Aren't you smiling, man? Then… why don't you smile forever and ever?"
Klaus stared bitterly at the dagger lying beside him. His hands trembled as he picked it up. He hesitated, lips twitching, then cursed under his breath.
With one sharp motion, he slashed his own face.
Blood gushed down, staining everything. A red line curved from the corners of his mouth up toward his cheeks—like a grotesque grin carved into his skin.
Now, Klaus really did look like a joker.
Smiling… forever.
But Amelia didn't seem satisfied. Something about it felt… lacking.
She picked up the dagger and stared at it. It was a Supreme Memory—third tier—with a particularly cruel enchantment. Anyone wounded by it would be scarred for life. It also carried a secondary enchantment—one that allowed it to fuse with other Memories.
So, she did exactly that.
Without hesitation, she fused the dagger with her gauntlet. Then she looked down at her clawed hand, admiring the deadly fusion—before reaching out and grabbing Klaus by the face.
In one brutal motion, she tore the flesh from his neck to his mouth—ripping a jagged, horrifying wound across his face.
"You've paid the price."
Klaus collapsed, screaming, blood gushing from his face. But even through the agony, his eyes remained wide, unblinking—locked on her with raw, murderous hatred.
"Someday… I'll be the one who kills you…"
Amelia spread her wings, stepping away from the ruins. She didn't bother turning back as she spoke.
"I'll be looking forward to it… Smiling Man."