Vareon stood frozen—not in fear, but in strange, creeping realization.
He was no longer just listening to Kazuki's story.
He was living it.
His mind began slipping into the flashbacks Kazuki narrated, unconsciously constructing vivid illusions around him—illusions that weren't even real.
He saw a crimson sea. One that had never existed. He heard whispers beneath the ground. He imagined blood-stained skies and shadowy monsters lurking between trees—none of which were ever part of the Warfield.
But such was the power of Kazuki's voice, his presence, and the painful accuracy of his words.
Vareon said nothing.
He couldn't.
And Kazuki… continued.
"The Warfield," he said coldly, "was the heart of the forgotten. That much was true. It held ancient energies, forbidden paths, and traces of battles long erased from the empire's records."
Kazuki paused, letting his words linger in the air.
"But it didn't tell me what I needed to know."
He gave Vareon a smile—a smile unlike any before.
Colder. Emptier. Final.
"There was nothing in the Warfield about the Ryehem Incident. Not a scrap."
"I found shards of your corruption. Echoes of demon energy. I faced soldiers with unnatural powers. But the truth about what really happened to Ryehem… remained sealed."
He exhaled slowly.
"Still, something did break open."
[The Truth About the Demon Contract]
"It happened during a minor clash," Kazuki said."One where your soldiers used cloning techniques—abilities copied from my older brother, Sazuki."
Kazuki's eyes sharpened.
"The way they duplicated themselves was identical to Sazuki's Spiritual Cloning Technique. And that was when I realized…"
He took a breath.
My father said me "You had contracts with demons. And those demons gave you the ability to copy others' spiritual gifts."
He tilted his head slightly toward Vareon.
"And you used that gift… extremely well."
[The Second Phase Begins]
Kazuki's tone shifted from cold to calculating.
"After that moment, I no longer needed proof of who orchestrated the demon attack at the academy."
"I knew it was you."
He stepped closer now, gaze unwavering.
"That marked the end of the first part of my plan—gathering knowledge."
He then inhaled deeply, his expression calm but unreadable.
"And that's when the second part began…"
The throne hall grew quieter, colder—almost as if it, too, were waiting for his next words.
Kazuki's voice dropped to a whisper.
"Getting here. In front of you."
He let that settle in the air like falling ash.
And then, after a long, still pause—
"And well…"