Sadi crouched on the edge of the Blackflame Imperial Cloudship, her senses sharp despite the rolling tension in the air. Below, the sky churned with the presence of the Seishen Kingdom's Cloudships, their formations vast and precise.

  Mercy hovered before them, unflinching, her staff steady beneath her feet. The wind howled around her, whipping at her cloak, but she didn't waver. She looked so small against the massive Seishen fleet, yet she carried herself with the weight of a thousand golds.

  The communication construct on Sadi's armour buzzed. "Task completed," Lindon's voice broke through. "We also got everything in all three void keys, too."

  Sadi exhaled slowly. The hard part was done. Now came the dangerous part.

  Floating in the air in front of them, Mercy spread her arms protectively, her voice ringing across the air between the two sides. "Let us end this peacefully!" she called to the Seishen Cloudships. "We will withdraw!"

  Her words carried over the wind, but neither Seishen nor Blackflame ships moved. The stillness was almost suffocating. The Seishen Kingdom sacred artists aboard their Cloudships stood rigid, waiting for orders. Some of the Blakflame Empire looked at Mercy in confusion and others in thankfulness.

  Sadi lifted a hand to her communication construct. "Head back through the portal," she murmured to Lindon. "Drop the treasures there before coming back to us."

  A pause. Then, "Understood."

  Her communication construct buzzed again, but this time, it was Whitehall's voice. " Enjoy the show, Akura Charity ," he drawled. " And try not to choke on it. "

  That was the signal Sadi was waiting for, and she activated her Lightcloak on Whitehall. He must've landed without a sound, and she felt him place a gentle hand on the small of her back. Feeling his touch, she wanted to laugh at the absurdity of what he had just said to the Sage.

  A chuckle came from behind them. "I must say," Eithan's voice carried its usual unshakable amusement as he strolled up, hands clasped behind his back, golden hair barely ruffled by the wind. "That was nicely done. Never have I seen a Sage that distracted."

  Whitehall shrugged. Though invisible, Sadi could feel his smile. "Haven't done that kind of evil monologue in a while. Damn, didn't it feel good."

  "I'm sure she's seething wherever she is," Sadi joked.

  "So," Eithan tilted his head, the purple sky reflected in his sharp eyes. "Do you think your plan will work?"

  "If she isn't a hypocrite," Whitehall replied. "The Seishen Underlords can't attack our Truegolds openly anymore without our own Underlords doing the same. If she really cares about not weakening any of her vassals, then she would end this farce."

  "Dangerous game you played," Eithan said, nodding approvingly as if the possibility of failure didn't concern him in the slightest. "Let's just hope the Sage will see eye to eye with us. The Blackflame Empire wouldn't be happy either way."

  "Too late to take it back, anyway," Sadi replied.

  King Dakata's voice boomed between towards them, unyielding. "I am afraid I cannot, young Miss Akura! The Sage's orders were clear! Please step aside so that we can do what needs to be done!"

  "Mercy," Sadi spoke to her communication construct. "I'm sorry," she said softly.

  A long silence. Then, Mercy's voice came through, quiet and resigned. "It's not your fault... We all agreed to the secrecy. And it was a good plan."

  It had to be. They had kept it hidden even from their closest allies, ensuring that neither Mercy, Lindon, nor Yerin had any knowledge until the final moment. They hadn't told Eithan either, but the man had a way of always knowing things he shouldn't, so Sadi couldn't be sure. But if the Sage had caught even a whisper of what they were planning, it would have unravelled before it even began.

  "Please, your Highness!" Mercy called out again, desperation creeping into her voice. "We do not have to go down this path!"

  King Dakata lowered his head and shook it. "I cannot, young Miss Akura." Then, he raised his eyes to meet hers, his expression resolute. "You are not the Sage."

  Slowly, Mercy turned her head. Her gaze settled on the Sage's owl perched high above, atop the foremast of the Blackflame Imperial Cloudship. Sadi could see the pleading in her expression, the silent question.

  The owl did not answer. Charity remained silent.

  Mercy's shoulders lifted in a deep breath, then lowered. A long, slow exhale. "I was afraid you would say that," she murmured.

  She lifted one arm.

  At once, the offensive constructs on the gathered Blackflame Cloudships flared to life, glowing with condensed madra. Multicolour scripts burned like molten brands against their hulls, humming with violent promise.

  King Dakata's eyes widened, and his warriors reacted instantly. They couldn't respond in kind due to Akura Mercy being right in their line of fire. So, the Seishen Cloudships flared with defensive formations, golden light blooming across their sides like rising suns.

  And then— The world went dark.

  The whole battlefield was swallowed in shadow as the Sage finally intervened. The purple light of the sky dimmed to nothing, and in its place, a shroud of absolute stillness descended upon the gathered forces.

  Sadi watched in the darkness, her eyes widening every second as she realised what the Sage was doing.

  When the shadows subsided, all offensive and defensive constructs on both sides had been deactivated. The Sage had left the Cloudships as nothing else but glorified transport vessels.

  For a single breath, silence ruled.

  Then, a thousand spirits ignited at once.

  And with a single war cry, the battle began.

  "Attack!"

  Kiro waited with Meira and Daji in a small Cloushship on the way to the vault the Sage had marked on the map she had given him.

  His younger brother had not been himself lately. Gone was the brashness and the arrogance Daji had always carried, replaced by silence and little words. But beneath that change, Kiro saw hope in Daji's eyes.

  "Get ready for battle," Kiro announced to the group. "According to the Sage's instructions, they should be there by now. We shall not disgrace ourselves in the Sage's eyes. And we shall not hurt Akura Mercy, even by accident."

  Meira instantly saluted and replied, brandishing her new scythe. "Yes, Prince Kiro."

  He watched her in her new armour; the colours did not match her weapon, but he felt proud. Her white hair was unnaturally bright under the purple sky. This was one step towards repaying the debt he owed her.

  Then, Kiro shifted his gaze towards Daji. His younger brother hadn't said a word. Their eyes locked, and for a moment, Kiro saw something he had never seen in his brother. Hesitation.

  "Must we?" Daji finally asked, his voice barely a whisper. "Kill them?"

  Kiro felt a pang of sympathy for his brother. Daji had never been involved with ruling affairs; their father had seen to it. But Kiro would change that. He will make sure his younger brother understands the burden of ruling.

  "Yes," Kiro replied with a nod, clenching and unclenching his fists. He held it up so his brother could see it clearly, and his spirit flared as he spoke. "We carry the burden of doing what is best and what is right for our people. The Heavens have chosen us to be princes, and our people rely on us. And this is how we give back, whether we like it or not."

  Based on the questioning look Daji gave him, Kiro knew his brother didn't understand it yet. But that's okay; this was a start.

  What Daji said next surprised Kiro.

  "Restraint, brother," Daji began, and Meira immediately gave the younger prince a dirty look, like Daji was an annoying insect. "What we do should be our own decisions."

  Kiro closed his eyes. Despite his brother having shed the arrogant facade, Daji was still naive.

  "What are you currently thinking, Daji?" Kiro asked softly.

  Daji looked away as he answered. "I've been thinking about the places I saw on the tablets during our lessons. I think I-" He paused.

  Kiro followed his brother's gaze down to his feet, where he saw one of the Sage's owls appearing there.

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  "Seishen Kiro," the owl addressed him as soon as they made eye contact.

  "Sage," Kiro bowed on one knee.

  "There has been a change," the owl continued. "Return to join your father. Your targets will meet you there."

  Thoughts whirled in Kiro's mind. Had the Sage failed to track them? That was not possible. The Sage had eyes and ears everywhere. Had his father done something he shouldn't?

  This time, when the Sage continued, Kiro felt a shiver run down his spine despite her even and serene voice.

  "Kill the Wastelanders."

  Sadi watched as Sacred Artists from both sides surged into the skies on Thousand-Mile Clouds, their forms darting like streaks of light above the Cloudships. The air vibrated with raw power—striker techniques colliding mid-flight, sending shockwaves that rippled through the tangled mass of Cloudships. The defensive and offensive constructs had been stripped away, but the thrust construct of the vessels remained, turning the battlefield into a sprawling labyrinth of steel, wood, and wreckage.

  A second Seishen Cloudship crashed into the Imperial Cloudship with a thunderous impact. The deck beneath Sadi shuddered violently, wood splintering as the vessels locked together like great beasts in a death grip. Smoke and madra residue filled the air as warriors from both sides poured across the decks, clashing in brutal, close-quarters combat.

  Above her, the battle was chaos. Striker techniques streaked across the sky—searing beams of light, arcs of lightning, spinning discs of wind. Screams of pain and fury mixed with the thunder of explosions and the acrid scent of blood and flesh thickened the air.

  All around them, striker techniques of all types blasted towards one another. Yells filled with orders, death screams, and agony filled the air.

  A ball of forged madra the size of a boulder tore toward her. Even invisible, she barely had time to twist aside before it slammed into the deck, erupting in a shockwave that sent bodies flying. She landed in a crouch, her Lightcloak flickering. The battlefield was too wild—stray attacks could find her even if no one saw her.

  The smaller Blackflame Cloudships came next. One after another, they slammed into the Seishen's King Cloudship, their hulls locking together until the entire battlefield became a web of shattered decks and crumbling masts.

  Sadi barely had time to register it before the first wave of Seishen warriors landed on her deck. The first wave of Seishen warriors vaulted over the wreckage, landing in precise formations. They moved quickly, their madra flaring—some coated themselves in stone armour, others wielded lightning or spears of condensed air.

  They came fast, leaping from the wreckage of their own ship, their eyes burning with purpose. Blades gleamed, madra flared, and in an instant, Sadi was moving. She swept forward, her Lightcloak flaring as she blurred into motion.

  The first enemy barely had time to register her presence before she struck- a knife hand straight to his throat. He choked, staggering back, but she was already spinning, slashing across another's side with her other knife.

  "There!" A shout from the Seishen Kingdom's side cut through the chaos.

  A Seishen Truegold rushed toward her, grey madra flowing over their armour like liquid stone. Sadi twisted, trying to reposition—only to feel a sudden force grip her ankles.

  She glanced down and saw forged stone coiled around her invisible feet, locking her in place. Her heart pounded. She struggled, but the grip was solid, and the Truegold was almost upon her, madra surging around his fists.

  Then, a blur of crimson light.

  A Skysworn on a Thousand-Mile Cloud streaked down from above, flaming blade first. They crashed into the Truegold like a meteor, driving their searing weapon straight through his chest. The Seishen warrior thrashed, blood spraying across the deck, but the Skysworn didn't stop—they dragged him skyward, disappearing into the chaos above.

  When Sadi finally broke free of her bindings, she saw a storm of golden needles whistling through the air towards her. She activated her Solar Maw, causing the needles to burst with Madra. The explosion knocked a few golds away, but they quickly returned to action.

  The battle was far from over.

  Whitehall couldn't help but feel a flicker of annoyance as he drove his fist into a Seishen Truegold. His enforcer technique flared, enhancing his strength, and the warrior shot backwards like a thrown stone, slamming into the wreckage of a Cloudship with a sickening crunch.

  He exhaled sharply and tried again, attempting to release his madra into the air. Like his previous attempts, the owl came.

  The Sage's owl swooped toward him with unnatural speed, and the moment his poison madra began to disperse, the owl devoured it, swallowing the madra before it could spread.

  Whitehall clicked his tongue. He had been careful. He was certain the Sage couldn't detect his spirit—not directly. But Sadi's technique had long faded, and the owl hadn't left his side since. Every time he tried to seed the battlefield with poison, it was there, waiting, watching.

  So that's her game.

  She wasn't trying to destroy him. She was boxing him in. Cutting off his strongest weapon. Forcing him into close combat—where the Seishen warriors could finally track him down.

  Whitehall huffed a quiet laugh, shaking his head. "Well played, Charity," he murmured, barely above a whisper. He knew she could hear him.

  The owl didn't react, but he imagined the Sage was smirking somewhere, pleased with herself.

  "Fine."

  If she wanted him in close combat, he'd play along.

  He flicked his wrist, and his whip uncoiled, the end stretching as tendrils of poison madra wove through it. The madra pulsed, dark and hungry, seeping into the wood beneath like a living thing.

  Let them come.

  Lindon and Yerin shot through the Valley on a pair of Thousand-Mile Clouds, skimming low beneath the trees to stay out of sight.

  Sadi had revealed the plan to them before boarding the Imperial Cloudship. Mercy had rejected the plan, not wanting to mislead the Sage. But Whitehall had his ways of persuading Mercy. Whether through encouragement, thinly veiled threats of paralysis, or, as in this case, sheer guilt manipulation.

  [Mercy sure folded quick, huh?] Dross mused. [You should take notes and try it too sometimes].

  Lindon had hesitated at first, too. The thought of missing out on whatever treasures lay hidden in a Sage's vault gnawed at him. But there was a satisfying irony in stealing from the very people who had ambushed them. And besides, it was a good plan.

  The moment he and Yerin had advanced to Underlord, the Sage's owl had found them. It hadn't left since. Which meant it was only a matter of time before the prince and his scythe-wielding companion came hunting. However, now that he and Yerin are Underlords, too, he felt a lot more confident about their prospects.

  [And you got me!] Dross added.

  Yerin called out, "Dross, we got anyone sniffing after us?"

  [Hmm…] Dross hummed. [Now that you mention it—nope. All clear.]

  The portal to Blackflame City loomed ahead. This time, they didn't hesitate.

  "That doesn't make sense," Lindon said as darkness enveloped him. "The Sage has been following us this whole way. Why wouldn't she send them after us now?"

  [I'm using your senses, remember]? Dross retorted. [Maybe they could be waiting for us on the other side]?

  That sent a panic through Lindon. Surely, the Sage wouldn't send Underlords against injured golds.

  [I don't think she would. But you never know].

  He had dragon's breath ready as he stepped out of the portal, only to find nothing but startled Skysworn Lowgolds staring at them. They winced when Yerin flew through with her spirit unveiled.

  Yerin veiled her spirit, and they wasted no time. They flew quickly towards her tent, ignoring the golds that bowed as they passed.

  They dropped off Sadi and Whitehall's void keys inside, and Lindon carved a protective script around the tent. It wouldn't be fully secure, but it would stop anyone coming in who isn't at least an Underlord. It might have been overkill, but these were valuable treasures, so he took his time.

  Yerin watched as he finished the script. "Shouldn't we keep one in case they need to advance?"

  Lindon tapped the void key hanging from his neck. "I've got enough inside mine."

  Yerin smirked.

  [Sharing now, are we]? Dross asked. [Are you sure Underlord hadn't messed with your mind]?

  Lindon ignored Dross, and he and Yerin quickly returned to the portal.

  "Dross, send a message to the others as soon as we're through," he said. Everyone hadn't sent a message to him and Yerin this whole time unless prompted, fearing that the sound could alert the Seishen guards or the Sage.

  Despite lasting a few seconds, the time in the darkness felt like hours.

  [Sent], Dross chimed as soon as they returned to the Valley.

  Their construct buzzed. Whitehall's voice crackled through, laced with amusement and the distant clash of battle.

  "You two sure took your time," Whitehall said. "Were the golds that tough?"

  Gazing towards the distance, where the battle took place, Lindon saw streaks of striker technique flying through the sky. He angled his cloud towards the fight.

  "Blah blah blah," Yerin replied from her own cloud, flying beside his. "Ran off with their tails tucked between their legs as soon as they saw us. I would even call them bigger cowards than you."

  Whitehall's laugh emerged through the construct, followed by an unrecognisable woman's muffled grunt.

  "You three still solid?" Yerin asked.

  "We got separated, but I'm good," Whitehall replied first.

  "I'm fine," Sadi said, followed by a thunderous crashing sound.

  "What was that?" Lindon asked, looking at the distance, but couldn't tell what happened.

  Sadi's reply came after another second. "They're ramming Cloudships against one another like they're trying to make another flying city!"

  "Hey guys!" Mercy's voice chimed in as bright as ever. "I'm fine too. I don't think they're trying to kill me, more like trapping me."

  "Good to hear," Yerin replied. "Just stay prim and proper. Help is on the way. The prince and the crazy lady there?"

  Whitehall's voice replied. "Haven't seen them."

  His speech was quickly cut by a loud boom.

  "Never mind, never mind!" came Whitehall's voice again, with more urgency. "They're here!" Then, "Stupid owl," he cursed under his breath.

  "We're coming. Hold tight," Lindon replied as he and Yerin pushed more madra into their clouds to push them faster.

  Then, as they were halfway towards the battle, Whitehall's voice crackled through again. It wasn't directed at them, but it just carried the unmistakable tone of a man barely holding back the urge to bury his face in his hands.

  "Oh, you bloody idiot!"

  Kiro soared alongside Meira towards their target. The Sage had marked the Wastelanders for them. One was invisible, and Daji had separated to confront the woman.

  That left the poison artist. The one the Sage's owl tracked like a spectre. The one whose blood had burned Kiro's skin on contact. If he hadn't been a prince, he wouldn't have had access to the medicine needed to heal without scarring. Even now, he could feel a phantom sting where the venom had touched him.

  He felt his new shield on his arms. The Sage had gifted him a priceless treasure. His father had told him it had an Overlord binding. Kiro couldn't activate it easily, probably only once. He would be useless right after and possibly cripple his spirit. But if it meant completing the Sage's task, so be it.

  A volley of black webs shot toward them. Meira surged forward, slicing them into ribbons with a flick of her scythe.

  "I'll handle her, my prince," she said as she redirected her cloud towards Akura Mercy.

  He could trust Meira with Akura Mercy. She had never failed him, and he knew she never will. Now, it was his turn to not fail her.

  "Thank you, Meira," he said to her as he continued pushing his cloud on a rapid descent.

  His Thousand-Mile Cloud burned through the air, streaking toward his target like a falling star. He held his shield ready, descending upon the poison artist like a judgment from the heavens.

  At the last moment, the Wastelander scrambled aside, barely dodging the impact. His shield crashed into the wooden deck like a comet, digging deep until he was halted by a reinforced metal frame.

  Kiro tore himself out of the wreckage and scanned for his target. As previously, he couldn't find the short man's spirit. The difference this time, however, is that he had the Sage's help. Not far from him was the Sage's owl, glowing a bright silver as it followed the Wastelander's every move.

  The Truegold snarled and struck at the owl, but his blows passed through as if striking mist. Not a single feather was disturbed.

  Kiro activated his enforcer technique, Force madra surging through his limbs. He launched himself forward, cutting down Blackflame warriors unlucky enough to stand in his way.

  The Wastelander's eyes turned to him, and he tried to dodge.

  But Kiro was an Underlord and was faster than a Truegold could be.

  The Truegold turned, but Kiro's sword sliced through his side.

  Poisonous blood spattered onto the deck, sizzling on impact. Kiro whipped his sword, scattering the toxic droplets before it could touch him.

  The Wastelander collapsed, clutching his wound with one hand while the other tightened around his whip. He lifted his gaze, and Kiro was met with a look of pure indignation.

  "Oh, you bloody idiot!" the Wastelander roared.

  Then, the sky cracked apart.

  Thunder roared. Lightning lanced across the battlefield, illuminating the carnage in stark flashes. A voice, deep and ragged, boomed from above.

  "I have witnessed an Underlord slaughtering and attacking Golds."

  Kiro felt the owner of the voice's spirit. He had memorised every Underlord in the Blackflame Empire before coming to the Valley. Only one walked the Cloud Hammer Path.

  The Blackflame Empire's number one Underlord.

  Chon Ma.

  Chon Ma's voice thundered with righteous fury.

  "We have cause to RETALIATE! "

  Kiro went rigid and pale as he slowly turned to gaze at the battle around him, where Seishen and Blackflame Golds were fighting one another.

  In his determination to complete the Sage's task, he had forgotten one important lesson. Restraint.

  One by one, the Blackflame Underlords began to slaughter Seishen golds.

  If the previous battle had been considered as chaotic, now it was cataclysm incarnate.

  What had he done?

  House of Blades

  Iteration requested. Amalgam.

  Date. Denied

  Report Complete.

  Dayang watched in silent panic, her heart pounding as one by one, hundreds of temples rose from the earth. Just a few hours ago, the landscape had been nothing but dense forest. Now, it was a sprawling sea of temples, each one unique in design, with intricate roofs, patterns, and carvings that gleamed faintly in the moonlight. The sight was both awe-inspiring and terrifying.

  Was he mocking her? she wondered, her stomach churning with dread.

  "Eight hundred and seventy-three," Cornelia said, her voice calm but carrying an edge of urgency. "He will succeed."

  Dayang glanced up at the dark sky, where the stars were beginning to fade. Dawn was still two hours away, and the roosters would not crow until then. Her hands trembled as she clutched the edge of her skirt, her mind racing.

  "How is he doing this?" Dayang asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "Are Travellers of Valinhall this powerful?"

  "No," Cornelia replied simply.

  "Then how? Is someone helping him?" Dayang's voice shook, her fear spilling into her words.

  "Maybe," Cornelia answered, her tone cryptic. "No Traveller of Valinhall could achieve this so quickly. An Incarnate, however..."

  Dayang's breath hitched. "Is he?"

  "No," Cornelia said, and Dayang felt a flicker of relief. "But he will be."

  Dayang turned to face the doll, her eyes wide with alarm. "You need to stop him. He might not even know what's about to happen."

  "He does," Cornelia said emotionlessly. "Even if I tried to stop him, he wouldn't listen to me. Not anymore."

  Dayang's thoughts spiralled, her mind a whirlwind of fear and desperation. Would he listen to her? No, she knew he wouldn't. She had to do something—anything. Her son was on the brink of becoming an Incarnate, and she was about to lose him all over again.

  "I can feel the chains of Valinhall spreading every second," Cornelia said, her voice low. "They're on his neck now. He doesn't have much time left." The doll, who had been staring into the distance, turned to face Dayang. For the first time, Dayang heard genuine worry in Cornelia's voice. "If you're going to act, I implore you to do it now."

  Dayang didn't hesitate. She raced into the forest, her feet pounding against the uneven ground as she sprinted towards the temple currently being built. "Please," she begged, her voice breaking as she prayed to no one in particular. "I'll do anything. Just don't take him away again."

  The forest was a blur of shadows and sharp branches that tore at her clothes and skin. Her skirt ripped, her arms and legs stinging with fresh cuts, but she didn't stop. She couldn't. As she drew closer to the temple, she noticed the intricate patterns carved into its walls—lilacs and tulips, her favourite flowers. The sight made her chest ache.

  "Sangkuriang!" she screamed, her voice raw and desperate. She was still far away, but she prayed he could hear her. "I'll marry you! Please, just stop!" She would swallow her pride, bury her disgust, and dive into the deepest depths of immorality if it meant saving him. She would endure it all, but she couldn't lose her son again. Not like this.