Amon watched as Vothar's body was consumed by fire, the flames crackling hungrily as they devoured the corpse. The stench of burning flesh filled the air, thick and suffocating. His stomach twisted violently.
He had caused this.
In a single moment, in the briefest span of time, he had become death itself—hundreds of lives erased by his hands. He gagged, his body heaving, but nothing came out. Only tears dripped from his face, warm against his cold, clammy skin. His vision blurred.
His hands trembled before him, drenched in blood, his fingers stained with the proof of his sins. He had thought about it before—what it would take to kill, to ensure his survival. He had imagined it countless times, but now, standing amid the carnage, the weight of his actions crushed him.
Children. Innocents.
They had died because of him.
He swallowed hard, but the lump in his throat only grew. His head spun, the world tilting, the flames warping before his eyes. A shudder racked his body, disgust curling deep in his gut—not just at what he had done, but at himself.
Then, a soft touch.
Perses, perched on his shoulder, ruffled his feathers and gently patted Amon's head with a wing. The gesture was small, but grounding. Amon sucked in a shaky breath, clenching his fists, willing himself to hold together.
Suddenly, a purple screen materialized before him.
---
[Congratulations!! Walker]
[For an Impossible Feat]
[— The One Who Broke One of the 12 Supreme Laws — ]
[Acquiring True Name...]
[True Name Acquired: UNSHACKELD]
---
Amon's heart pounded against his ribs. His breath hitched.
It worked.
He had planned for this moment for thirteen years. He had known—knew—that brute strength alone wouldn't win this battle. Against Vothar, his power meant nothing. But strategy? Cunning? Exploiting weaknesses beyond physical force?
That was his true weapon.
If he couldn't attack Vothar directly, then he had to break him indirectly. He had to shatter his emotions, make him lose control. And chaos—true chaos—was the key.
For two years, he had siphoned gifts from his uncle, disguised under the guise of learning artificery. Every artifact he had created was for this moment. Three weapons: blood mist despenser, flash bombs and mana bomb—small, unassuming, but devastating. . Even a sliver of transcendent mana was enough to create destruction on an unprecedented scale.
And now, as the screen shimmered before him, he knew.
The attack was over.
That meant Max was here.
Amon exhaled sharply, his mind snapping back into motion. He didn't have much time. He had to think—quickly.
His gaze flicked to Cassius, who stood a few feet away, watching him warily. Their eyes met.
Amon smiled.
------------
Suddenly, a deafening crash echoed through the burning hall as Elara and Seraphina burst in at full force. The heat from the roaring flames washed over them, but the moment they laid eyes on the scene before them, all thoughts of fire and smoke were forgotten.
A massacre.
Corpses littered the floor, charred beyond recognition. The walls were riddled with craters from the explosions. The acrid stench of burnt flesh mixed with the thick metallic tang of blood, clinging to the air like death itself.
Then, at the far end of the hall, Cassius came into view. He was barely standing, his armor dented and smeared with soot and gore. Beside him, Anastasia lay collapsed on the ground, her face pale as a corpse, blood pooling beneath her from a deep wound in her abdomen.
Elara's breath hitched.
Without hesitation, she rushed forward, magic crackling at her fingertips. With a swift flick of her hand, golden energy surged from her palm and wrapped around Anastasia's wound. The torn flesh began to knit together at a visible rate, the bleeding slowing, then stopping entirely.
Seraphina, meanwhile, whirled toward Selene, who had been lurking in the shadows behind Elara.
"Selene, where is Amon?" Seraphina's voice was sharp with urgency.
Selene hesitated, her face troubled. "I saw young master enter the hall, but—"
"But what?!" Seraphina snapped. "Where is he?!"
Elara spun toward Cassius, her voice breaking into a frantic, almost senseless plea.
"Prince, have you seen Amon? You know him—small, black hair—he was here! Where is he?!"
Cassius' expression darkened. Without a word, he slowly opened his left palm.
Resting in his bloodied hand was a broken watch. Its delicate silver casing was cracked, its gears dislodged, tiny shards of glass slipping from its ruined face.
Amon's watch.
A cold weight settled in Seraphina's stomach.
Elara took a step back, her heart shattering as realization dawned.
Then—her world collapsed.
A scream tore from her throat, raw and desperate. Her anguish echoed through the burning hall, drowning out even the roar of the flames.
---
Meanwhile…
In a secured chamber, deep within the imperial palace, three men sat around a grand obsidian table.
Max sat at the head, his crimson eyes dark with fury. Emperor Carlos leaned against the wall, arms crossed, his jaw clenched. Beside him, Klien sat stiff-backed, his gaze cold and detached, but his voice carried the weight of restrained wrath.
"Those damned zealots," the Emperor spat, his fists tightening against the table. "How dare they attack the Empire? They will face wrath at its full scale."
Klien's red eyes flickered with calculation. "What was their main goal, Father?"
Max exhaled slowly, his fingers rapped the edge of table. "According to the Marquis-ranked individual we captured, their objective was to assassinate the Crown Prince."**
Klien frowned. "That doesn't make sense."
Carlos nodded. "Exactly. If killing Cassius was their true goal, they had ample chances in the next two months—he would vulnerable while studying at the Path. Yet, they chose to strike now, in the heart of the capital?"
A heavy silence settled over the room.
Then Carlos sighed, rubbing his temple. "No… their goal was something else. And until we find out what, we must assume the worst."
Klien's fingers drummed against the table, his expression unreadable. Then, in a quiet voice, he asked:
"How many lives were lost today?"
The Emperor's face turned grim. "Across the planet?" He let out a slow, bitter breath.
"…More than a few billion."