Valen and Camila Ashbluff greeted me in the grand foyer of their estate, their expressions as sharp and regal as their reputations demanded. The Ashbluff stronghold was as I remembered—dark stone and gilded edges, a fortress masquerading as a palace. But now, as I stood before them, I noticed the subtle shifts: the thicker patrols, the distant clang of weapon drills, and the weight of war that hung heavy in the air.
'They're readying for war,' I thought, my gaze flicking to Valen. The King of the West had grown stronger—much stronger.
Mid Radiant-rank.
Valen Ashbluff now stood as the most powerful individual on Earth, Rank 1. Of the ten Radiant-rankers currently alive, only two had reached mid Radiant-rank, while the other seven remained at low Radiant-rank. Valen's power was palpable, a storm waiting to be unleashed. It was clear why he now had the confidence to push for war against the Savage Communion and the ogres and orcs they served.
The Savage Communion's leader, the Axe King, was a terrifying low Radiant-ranker, but Valen's ascension tipped the scales. A mid Radiant-ranker could dominate a low Radiant-ranker decisively.
'Though… even a mid Radiant-ranker isn't invincible,' I mused. 'There are anomalies. Beings like Lucifer and me.'
"Arthur," Jin's familiar voice broke through my thoughts. I turned to see him striding into the room, his face carrying the same sharpness as his father's, though tempered by his youth.
He'd grown.
Mid Immortal-rank.
Jin Ashbluff wasn't the same boy I remembered from Class A. He had matured, both in power and demeanor, and I could feel the strength radiating off him. Yet, he wasn't quite there. Not yet.
"Let's talk, shall we?" I said, offering him a small smile.
He glanced at his parents, who nodded in silent approval. Together, Jin and I moved through the Ashbluff estate, weaving through its labyrinthine halls until we reached one of the quieter, richly appointed living rooms. The heavy door closed behind us, and I took a seat opposite him, the tension in the air thick but unspoken.
Servants entered briefly, setting down drinks and snacks before retreating. As soon as they left, I flared my mana, crafting a protective bubble around us. The golden shimmer of the spell ensured that no one—not even a Radiant-ranker—could overhear us.
Jin's eyes narrowed. He sat forward, resting his elbows on his knees, his expression serious. "What's this about?" he asked.
I conjured a spell in the air, and the familiar mana oath shimmered into existence between us. It was a pact we had forged years ago, bound in mana and blood—an unbreakable promise.
"Do you remember this?" I asked, nodding toward the floating script.
"Of course," Jin said, his voice steady, though his gaze darkened slightly. "What about it?"
I leaned back, exhaling slowly. "I'm going to do something crazy," I said. "And there's a chance it'll break this mana oath."
Jin's posture stiffened, his fists curling on his knees. "What are you planning, Arthur?"
I met his gaze, unflinching. "Your father is planning to kill Rin soon."
The words hung heavy in the room, like the toll of a funeral bell. Jin's face didn't change immediately, but I saw the faintest twitch in his jaw, the tension building in his shoulders.
"And?" he asked, his voice quieter now, but laced with a dangerous edge.
"I want to save her," I said plainly.
For a moment, there was only silence. Jin stared at me, his mind no doubt racing as he weighed my words. The oath still hovered between us, glowing faintly.
"Do you know what you're asking?" he finally said, his tone carefully measured.
"Yes," I replied. "And I know what it'll cost. But I'm not going to let her die, Jin."
He stood abruptly, pacing to the window. Outside, the faint glow of training grounds lit the darkened estate, a reminder of the war his family was preparing for. "You realize what this means, don't you?" he said, his back to me. "My father won't take this lightly. You'll be going against the Ashbluffs—against me."
"I'm not going against you," I said firmly. "I'm asking you to stand with me."
Jin turned, his expression torn. "And what happens when my father finds out? Do you think he'll just let this slide?"
"I'll deal with Valen," I said, rising to my feet. "But Rin doesn't deserve to die. You know that as well as I do."
Jin's fists clenched at his sides. "She's dangerous, Arthur. My father isn't wrong about that. You don't know what she's capable of."
"Maybe not," I admitted. "But I know what it's like to be cast aside. To be written off as something dangerous just because of what you are. She deserves a chance, Jin. And I'm going to give her that."
He stared at me for a long moment, his verdant eyes searching mine for something—conviction, resolve, or perhaps just madness. Whatever he found, it made him exhale sharply, shaking his head.
"You're insane," he muttered.
I smiled faintly. "Probably."
Jin's gaze shifted to the oath floating between us. With a flick of his fingers, he dismissed it. "Fine," he said. "If you're going to do this, then do it. But you'd better make sure you don't regret it, Arthur. Because if you fail, if Rin becomes the monster my father fears…"
"I won't fail," I said, cutting him off. "I'll save her."
Jin's shoulders relaxed slightly, though the tension in the room remained. "Good luck, then," he said, stepping past me toward the door. "You're going to need it."
As he left, the mana bubble dissipated, and I was alone with my thoughts.
The room fell silent, save for the faint hum of ambient mana still crackling faintly in the distance. Then, without a sound, Luna materialized beside me, her presence as natural as the breath in my lungs.
Her form had evolved over time, just as I had. At Integration-rank, she'd been no more than a chibi-like figure, her tiny form almost a comical representation of her essence. When I ascended to Ascendant-rank, she grew into the shape of a young girl, still childlike but undeniably more refined. Now, as I stood on the cusp of Radiant-rank, she had taken on the appearance of a teenage girl—elegant, almost regal, her flowing amethyst hair cascading like silk, her galaxy eyes glimmering with infinite mysteries.
She seated herself next to me with an ease that suggested she belonged there. Her presence was never jarring, never intrusive. It simply was.
"Why do you want to save her?" Luna asked, her voice calm but tinged with curiosity as she tilted her head toward me.
I glanced at her, my fingers absently tracing the edge of Nyxthar's hilt. "Because she's special," I said simply. "If I can save her, she could become the strongest ally I'll ever have."
"More than Lucifer?" Luna's brows furrowed slightly, her voice dipping into skepticism. It wasn't a challenge, just a genuine question.
I considered the comparison for a moment before nodding. "Possibly."
Rin Ashbluff was a singularity—a person unlike anyone else in this world. Her Gift, her very existence, was defined by duality. A fusion of mana and black mana.
Jack Blazespout had two Gifts, one rooted in mana and the other in black mana. He was considered a rarity, a prodigy. But Rin's Gift wasn't simply two energies coexisting; it was the culmination of both, merged into a single, intertwined force. Duality.
And that was precisely why she was imprisoned.
"She's dangerous," I murmured, as much to myself as to Luna. "Not just powerful, but uncontrollable. The black mana inside her… it's relentless. It doesn't just coexist with her mana—it fights it. It whispers to her, pushes her to kill beings of mana, like humans. It's not a conscious decision for her; it's instinct."
Luna's galaxy eyes glinted, the cosmos within them swirling as though reflecting my thoughts. "Like the dark beasts," she said softly.
I nodded. "Exactly. Black mana beings—whether they're cultists or black mana beings—they all share the same primal urge to destroy mana beings. The Cult followers and other black mana beings? They've learned to suppress it, to control it. But Rin…" I trailed off, exhaling deeply. "Rin isn't like them. She's closer to a dark beast in the way her instincts dominate her."
My mind wandered back to the disaster that had unfolded decades ago, the catastrophe that had scarred the Western continent. Rin had been the epicenter of it all, her instincts taking control in a moment of unchecked power. The devastation was unimaginable. Entire cities leveled, countless lives lost. It was that event that had forced Valen to make the decision no father should ever have to make.
He didn't kill her. Perhaps he couldn't. But he sealed her, using a spell so intricate and secure that it had held her for years. Still, even the most unbreakable chains erode over time. The seal was weakening. Soon, Rin would become too powerful to contain. And Valen, despite his love for her, would have no choice but to act.
"Valen's given up," I said quietly, my voice heavy with the weight of the truth. "He's tried everything he could think of to save her, but nothing worked. Now, all he sees is a ticking time bomb. And he's prepared to do what he thinks is necessary."
Luna was silent for a moment, her gaze fixed on me. Then she spoke, her voice soft but steady. "And you think you can succeed where he failed?"
I met her gaze, a faint smile tugging at my lips. "I don't think I can, Luna. I know I can."
She studied me for a moment longer, her expression unreadable. Then, she leaned back, her arms crossing over her chest. "Mythweaver," she murmured, the word laced with both awe and caution.
My smile widened slightly. "Exactly."
Mythweaver wasn't just a Gift. It was an anomaly, a power that defied logic and reason. It allowed me to rewrite the very fabric of reality, to alter the temporal and metaphysical history of objects, concepts, and, in rare cases, beings. It was how I'd created Rachel's eyes—by unbinding the Ancient-grade artifact, Seraphim's Embrace, and rewriting its story into something entirely new.
And now, I would use it to save Rin Ashbluff.
It wouldn't be easy. Mythweaver demanded an extraordinary toll, and the effort required to alter something as complex as Rin's condition would push me to my absolute limit. But it was possible. And more importantly, it was necessary.
"You're insane," Luna said, though there was a flicker of admiration in her voice. "But that's why you're you."
"I'll take that as a compliment," I said with a grin, though my mind was already racing ahead, plotting out the steps I would need to take.
Rin Ashbluff wasn't just another name on my list of goals. She was a promise—a promise that even the most broken, most dangerous souls could be saved. And with Mythweaver in my hands, I intended to keep that promise.