“Sarah, activate the spatial transmission lines,” Kairon said, “It’s time to get started.”

“Yes, sir,” Sarah Muse said. She frowned in concentration as she held up her left hand towards Kairon. Golden lines flowed down her arm and into her hand.

Kairon smiled as similar golden symbols began appearing over his face then traveling in lines over his body.

Hoarfrost blinked in shock.

Directing animus through specially designed canals to reliably cast an advanced technique. It can’t be…

Animus circuits? I had only heard rumors that it was in an extremely experimental stage. This level of technology would shake the world…

Nevermind that right now. What are they using it for?

“She’s using a very exact form of spatial manipulation,” Thirteen warned Hoarfrost in an even voice as he saw Hoarfrost’s thoughtful look, “Remember that what we were talking to was a puppet. This spell is almost certainly to replace it with his true body.”

His true body? What is his true body like if a puppet he controls has this much presence?

Hoarfrost’s thoughts melted away as he watched the teleportation spell progress. The air spun and warped around Kairon’s gold-glowing body, yellow lightning occasionally arcing off of him from the animus’s raw energy.

That’s on a whole other level from the fixed area teleportation at Twelve Tower that takes a long time to tune and verify.

The spell increased in intensity until Kairon was but a gold silhouette in the spinning yellow storm of energy.

Boom!

A spinning column of red and black animus erupted into the air and engulfed the gold light. Hoarfrost held up a hand and used his own white animus to block from the continuous shockwaves of energy discharge of the violently spinning energy the spell produced.

This much animus of different kinds… all to summon one person?

The column of different colors of animus gradually slowed down and began unraveling and dissipating into the air like thick steam as the spell ended.

A dark feeling settled on Hoarfrost’s heart. There was a pressure now that hadn’t been there before. From the center of the remaining animus steam, he could feel an air of command on a scale different from anything he had encountered before, and that was without even looking at Kairon.

Then Hoarfrost’s breath caught as he saw Kairon emerge from the fading cloud of animus.

The man who stood in front of the throne looked nothing like the Kairon that had faced them before.

This is Kairon’s true body? It can’t be…

He had a tall stature, powerful build, a chiseled face, and long golden hair. He wore the white and gold Ultimate League colors with the original uniform’s design declaring him as “One.”

It doesn’t make sense, but there is no mistaking it. This person is Alister.

His demeanor was proud and confident, exactly like Hoarfrost had remembered from the multitude of videos he had seen of him from the past.

Alister was the one Hoarfrost had looked up to the most, the only hero alive who achieved Hoarfrost’s dream and ideal of becoming a hero capable of leading and guiding the world with his strength and wisdom. His every word and gesture had been wise and full of charisma, his crimson-and-gold eyes glowing with fiery resolve.

And now he’s right in front of me. The gravity of his presence, the power of his build, the confidence and humility of his posture… it’s almost overwhelming to behold in person.

I thought he was dead, that he was impossibly far away. And now the one who I’ve always wanted to reach is right in front of me.

But those feelings of yearning and hope froze and curdled into dread as Hoarfrost looked into the man’s eyes…

The man’s irises were mismatched: one a dark purple and the other a rich crimson. Despite the similarities to the Alister Hoarfrost had known in every mannerism and physical feature, the deep insanity in this man’s eyes was the same as the puppet Kairon’s. No… instead of just wild insanity, those eyes were filled with something deeper, something far more ancient and sinister that was incomprehensible to Hoarfrost.

Slowly the realization sunk through Hoarfrost’s being.

Kairon… you took Alister’s body?

“What did you do to Alister?” Hoarfrost whispered, “You monster. The world suffered because you took him away. I suffered.” He clenched his fist in rage, remembering how he had slowly lost hope as Alister stayed missing for months and years, and all that time Kairon had been masquerading in his skin. Despite his anger, he found he couldn’t raise his voice and accuse Kairon directly. His instincts forced him to stay quiet and not draw attention to himself in the face of such unfathomable power.

“For someone so arrogant, Kairon, you’re pretty shameless to use my old form as your true body,” Thirteen said.

Kairon laughed, his voice now Alister’s rich baritone, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. All the memories and the strengths of this form, the form of the ultimate leader culminating through all those centuries of Crimson Kings, is mine and mine alone. It seems you forgot who I am, given that spotty memory of yours, so let me demonstrate.”

Kairon spread out his hands and smiled.

“Kneel.”

His multicolored eyes glowed and immense force seized Hoarfrost’s body and crushed him downwards. He grunted in surprise and tried to resist, but his deepest instincts forced him to submit against his will.

It’s like he has full control over my body and he’s telling it to crush itself…

Hoarfrost flared his animus to raise his head and keep his body from being pulverized.

How is it possible to have this much overwhelming power? If this keeps up any longer my bones are going to crack under the pressure!

“I have gone by many names, but the truest one is the Aspect of Chaos. This Original Power allows me to absorb and mix different kinds of animus rather than only having one, and as you can see, I have developed this ultimate power of control by mixing Soul Projection animus and Crimson animus to completely manipulate the human mind and body.” Even such arrogant words were charming when delivered with Alister’s voice, almost to the point that Hoarfrost wanted to believe him.

Why did someone this powerful have to crush my hero, the hope of the entire world? Hoarfrost thought, his head still down as the power crushed him. I’m furious at him for committing such a heinous crime… and yet I’m pathetic and helpless before his monstrous power.

Hoarfrost closed his eyes in pain and gritted his teeth.

Why? Why am I always so weak and powerless despite being called strong?

“This much is meant to make me acknowledge your strength? It’s so little I don’t even have to bother countering it,” Thirteen said.

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Hoarfrost opened his eyes in shock. How is he talking normally? This pressure is insane!

Hoarfrost grit his teeth and craned his neck upwards to look at Thirteen despite the immense force pressing down on him.

Sure enough, Thirteen stood, his eyes glowing crimson, seemingly unaffected by the force that had seized Hoarfrost’s body completely. Then Thirteen looked at him with his glowing eyes and a shock of heat flashed through his body. Hoarfrost gasped for air as the force abruptly stopped crushing down on him.

Hope filled Hoarfrost’s chest even as he knelt with his hands on the ground, sweat dripping from his forehead to the ground as he panted heavily. He let animus flow through him to strengthen his body and speed up its recovery.

Even if I’m weak, Thirteen is strong. If I follow him… we have a chance. I need to get back up on my feet.

“That was just a greeting, to prove that your witness would not survive anything else,” Kairon said, “By the look in his eyes I can see he intends to fight. This is your last warning to command him to stand on the sidelines.”

“That’s for him to choose, not you,” Thirteen said.

Hoarfrost shakily stood up then breathed out, exhaling a plume of snow-white air. “I want to help you in any way that I can, Thirteen. If that means fighting, I’m willing to lay my life on the line.”

“Very well,” Thirteen said.

Kairon chuckled. “If you were going to have him fight, why would you choose such an inexperienced hero? Why not choose your strongest, One? Someone like him could possibly draw my attention for long enough to provide you with an opening.”

Thirteen stood beside Hoarfrost, his eyes still glowing crimson.

“The difference between Hoarfrost and the other heroes is that he doesn’t know his own strength. While the others have steadily pushed their limits and built up their powers, he rose to his position without ever having to use his full strength.”

What is he talking about? Hoarfrost thought, his eyes furrowed. And how can he assume so much about me?

Hoarfrost then turned the statement over in his mind.

Well… actually he’s right. I’ve always practiced restraint since I hated my powers, always reminding myself of my true values and rejecting the callousness that my powers create in my heart.

If he knows that much… does he know my past? Hoarfrost felt a trickle of fear at that notion despite his already deadly situation. I thought I had hidden it well enough to even get past the League’s screenings. Did they just let me in anyways?

Then Thirteen smiled genuinely for the first time in their encounter, a small, yet bright and terrifying smile. “However, I don’t think he’ll have any problems holding back when it’s against you. Imagine how grateful I was to get an invitation from you right around the time I scouted Hoarfrost. You’re going to be the key to Hoarfrost’s ascension, Kairon.”

Wait, slow down, I don’t understand… Hoarfrost clutched his head, sudden vertigo seizing him as he tried to process Thirteen’s words and his strange smile.

“Hah… look at you… ” Kairon tried to contain his laughter, shaking with mirth as he looked at Thirteen’s facial expression. Then he spoke with a grin, “I thought I was crazy, but maybe you’re even more broken than me! Risking your life and maybe even the fate of the world with that smile… to think this entire time you were just planning on raising your subordinate to his full potential.”

Then Kairon’s eyes became hard and his expression serious. “Do you really think you have the luxury of not using everything you have just to survive against me?”

Thirteen ignored him and instead faced Hoarfrost. “As you saw earlier, even one of Kairon’s simplest techniques was enough to bring you to your feet. Fighting him in your state would be impossible, so I’m going to help bring out your strength just this once.”

Hoarfrost quickly regained his composure before he answered, focusing on the immediate matter at hand.

We’ll get to that part about me later…

“Are you sure about this, Thirteen? Isn’t he a dangerous opponent who can attack the mind, someone who’s defeated you before?” Hoarfrost asked.

“Although I’m still curious about the techniques he used to accomplish that, he’s not a threat to me anymore. Just worry about yourself, Hoarfrost,” Thirteen said.

Not a threat to him anymore? Human beings are living creatures, it’s impossible to be completely invincible, especially against an unknown power.

“I just have a hard time understanding how you can be so sure,” Hoarfrost said.

“Just trust me. And if you can’t, then just follow my orders if you really want to fight,” Thirteen said.

Well… I’ll trust him and just worry about myself. There must be an important reason why he’s so focused on having me fight Kairon instead of striking the man down himself, which he seems confident in his ability to do.

“I’ll ask for the final time. Are you willing to go forward with this, Hoarfrost?” Thirteen said, “The technique I’m going to use on you is going to change you in a way that cannot be reversed. If you don’t want your power to take over your life any more than it has, then you should stop here.”

He’s asking me to throw away my restraint, even though my powers affect my emotions and have the ability to change my personality.

I’ve gotten this far holding onto my thin sense of self. Is it really okay to throw that all away now just to obey a plan that I don’t even understand?

Wait… if I say no am I not throwing away my chance to follow probably the most powerful man in the world? One himself from the Ultimate League told me that; the information couldn’t be more credible. Isn’t that what I was working for all these years as well?

I can’t follow Thirteen and my weak heart at the same time.

What do I choose? What do I throw away?

Hoarfrost nearly spoke, then looked up and saw Thirteen’s eyes, his mind racing.

Those glowing, fiery-red eyes. Those eyes weren’t angry or kind or anything in between. They were emotionless, simply powerful, staring right at him with undivided attention.

He’s waiting. I need to decide. Now.

Hoarfrost closed his eyes. He made the decision in his heart.

I’ll choose power.

He opened his eyes. He felt, oddly relieved by his decision, as if a great weight had been taken off of his heart.

Not even a single tear, He thought wryly. I guess if my heart was that far gone anyways there’s no point in trying to salvage it.

I’m sorry, Anne. I’m going to break my promise and become a monster. I’m going to follow Thirteen and obey my power without restraint.

If the strongest is a person like Thirteen, I’ll become like him. After all, I need power first, then I can follow my ideals. Otherwise, I’ll never be able to make it to the top.

I’ll follow you through the fire. Even if I’m just a pawn right now that doesn’t understand what’s going on, I’ll obey you and prove myself and slowly climb up the ranks.

“Yes,” Hoarfrost said. The pain of letting go of something precious to him hurt, but his eyes were determined to move forward nevertheless.

Thirteen held his eyes for a moment longer, then nodded and walked behind him. He put a hand on the small of his back, “Good. Then we’re going to get started now.”

Hoarfrost closed his eyes. He inhaled and exhaled evenly, flowing animus throughout his body for whatever was about to happen.

Thirteen closed his eyes and charged up an immense amount of crimson animus. Hoarfrost’s hair stood on end as he felt the vast pressure and heat behind him but he stayed concentrated on his even breathing and animus flow.

Meanwhile, at the other side of the room, Muse spoke.

“Are we going to stop them?” She asked.

“No,” Kairon said, his eyes glued to Thirteen and Hoarfrost, “If he’s doing that then I’m curious to see how it turns out. Ready your full power on standby, Muse, with Hoarfrost as your target.

“What about the plan?” She asked.

“The plan is going perfectly well… no, even better than expected.”

Muse glanced at him with slight confusion in her eyes, but quickly looked back to Hoarfrost and did what she was told, her hands glowing gold as she prepared her own animus for an attack.

Kairon smiled to himself as he analyzed the situation.

I waited this long, provoking him from different angles, but he never showed any emotion to take advantage of to make my revenge and dominance over him complete. And now he finally shows a spark, and it’s connected to the powers of this boy he wants to awaken.

That pitiful, broken man missed something so obvious: no matter how strong Hoarfrost is, I can see the weakness, pain, and confusion lancing through that child’s mind as clear as day.

I can’t wait to see Thirteen’s emotionless, arrogant eyes fill with despair when I take away what he’s excited about. And in that moment of despair, I’ll end his life and take control of him too. Only then can my vengeance be complete.

To think, this child would be the key to ending such a long battle of seeking revenge… I must thank you, Hoarfrost, for somehow getting Thirteen’s attention.

Kairon’s flow of thought was interrupted as Thirteen opened his burning red eyes.

Hoarfrost fought his instinctual urge to sprint away from the growing energy behind him. His body shook despite his efforts to keep it still.

“Don’t worry. It will hurt, but it won’t take long,” Thirteen said to Hoarfrost.

Then he took a deep breath and spoke, his voice quiet, yet with a power that reverberated through the room.

“Crimson Blood Art: Awaken Original Aspect.”

For a split second, Hoarfrost’s eyes widened at the name of the spell.

Then Thirteen pushed the entire tidal wave of energy into Hoarfrost. Hoarfrost’s veins glowed a bright crimson and white through his skin and it felt like his body would explode in fire from the inside.

Hoarfrost screamed, but he couldn’t hear it due to the sheer rush of sensation throughout his body. It felt like his mind detached from his body and all of his senses disappeared from the sheer shock and immense pain roaring through his nervous system as the crimson animus gushed through his body.

Then the crimson animus merged with his own animus and increased the output of his power a thousandfold. The fire in his veins changed into ice and his body became completely numb as his powers exploded in strength.

The freezing inferno quickly numbed out Hoarfrost’s mind, causing his already frayed consciousness to quickly fade to blackness. An enormous storm of white animus exploded around Hoarfrost as cold, white animus surged out of him.

This is… Absolute Zero. Hoarfrost thought as his awareness drowned under the icy blizzard within him. Except it’s far deeper and more powerful.

I wonder… how much will I change when I wake up? Was Hoarfrost’s last, fleeting thought as his mind went completely dark.

Then, out of the storm, there was absolute stillness.

Hoarfrost’s hair turned white. He opened his eyes. They were a dark, alien indigo.