Chapter 147 - Falling In Line

In this newly oppressive atmosphere, that leech's voice trembled, breaking the quiet, "This…this...can't be. How do you know my trace!? I've never shared it beyond my oathbound clan members."

"No. It's not just you." Unexpectedly, the Lord of Primordial Blood next to her stopped filing his nails and uttered with a dark expression, "He knows each and every one of our traces."

Clutching his head, the leech cried out in terror, "How... how can this be? He knows my trace! He has the power to invade my body, manipulate my very being!"

To all this, Mr. Axiom had no reaction. The only change in his constant silhouette was his mask that roiled with a smoke that was light and dark, cycling through phases more rapidly.

A cold silence swept through the crowd as the teenager's bravado crumbled. Each person held their breath, the realization of Axiom's power sinking in with terrifying clarity.

"I... I can't believe this," an elderly man whispered, his hands trembling as he clutched his own convergence note, the paper rustling softly in his shaking grip.

A young woman, her face stricken with fear, stared down at her note as if it might come alive. "How can he know our traces? They’re our deepest secrets, our very essence!"

Whispers began to flutter around the room as others checked their parchment. Panic was evident in their eyes, and some dropped their notes as if burned by the revelation of their inner thoughts.

King Keras slowly nodded, his face a mask of resigned yet hopeful acceptance. "There’s nowhere to hide," he muttered, "he can see into our very souls. He's the Axiom."

The heaviness was palpable, their earlier defiance dissolving into palpable dread. Those who had laughed at Axiom’s words now trembled as their faces grew pale.

"I…I yield!" shouted a burly man in the sixth row, someone who'd been supportive of Rupert since the start. Turning towards the stunned man in the air, he exclaimed, "I am sorry, coven master, but I don't think I can be an overseer of the council anymore."

He brought his hands together in prayer and suddenly fell down on his knees, "I apologize, Lord Axiom. I…I was swayed by the devils. I swear in the name of Eternal One, I will never associate myself with them again."

His eyes pleading, he smashed his head to the ground and begged, "Please. Please spare me. Please don't destroy me from the inside out. Please don't share my trace. I beg of you. Please."

Mr. Axiom, however, didn't even put this person in his eye, and before Ileana knew it, more people began expressing their regret.

She felt an odd sense of satisfaction besides the creeping horror of having her trace exposed. She'd grappled with something similar just a few weeks ago, when some bizarre entity had either gotten hold of her trace or was her 'default' note partner. So, this time, it didn't faze her as much as everyone else.

She narrowed her eyes and analyzed the situation, Mr. Axiom hasn't distorted anyone's form even after having the knowledge of everyone's trace. That must mean this was exactly what he'd said—a warning.

But why am I also being warned? she bit her lip. Surprisingly, she felt a little hurt that even she was a part of this warning. Hadn't she done everything in her means to resist this mandate of omniscience? The council?

As she grappled to reconcile her feelings, more people in the hall rushed to defect.

In the fifth row, a once-proud transparent woman with sharp features, stood up abruptly, her eyes darting around as if seeking an escape from an invisible predator. "I, too, must step down," she announced in a quavering voice that shocked many around her.

"I cannot align with this council any longer." She looked directly at Rupert, her expression one of profound regret. "Forgive me, for I cannot endure the wrath of a higher power."

She bowed deeply towards the exalted figure, her voice breaking as she pleaded, "Lord Axiom, forgive my ignorance and my past transgressions. My allegiance is to the truth now, to the peace you promise. Spare me, and I will serve faithfully under your new order."

Once done, she shattered the flower and red vines in front of her with a wave of her hand.

A young couple, hands tightly clasped, stepped forward from the crowd, their faces etched with fear. "We, too, have been misled," the man said, his voice barely a whisper. "We renounce the old ways and seek mercy under your guidance, Lord Axiom."

The woman nodded vigorously beside him, tears streaming down her cheeks as they both knelt, their heads bowed low in submission.

Amidst the cascading defections and pleas for mercy, that leech who had scoffed earlier stood up again, his face flushed with defiance as he tried to rally his fading courage. "Wait, everyone, just wait!" he shouted, his voice cracking under the strain. "This is a scam—a manipulation! If he really had the strength, he would have stopped us long ago? There's no way—"

"DRAKE!" bellowed a man in black hood in the seventh row. "You've lost your mind!" Then, without a pause, he turned towards the exalted figure on the highest podium and fell down on one knee, bowing his head, "This young fool speaks out of turn, milord. He's fueled by ignorance and misguided bravery. We, the Duskborne Clan, do not share his views. Please, allow me to prove our loyalty to you."

"But uncle," the leech who was aptly named Drake fumbled, "What do you mean. This is our enemy—"

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"Enough!" the man raised his hand. Not turning to face Drake, he proclaimed, "From this moment forth, Duskborne clan has no son named Drake. Lord Axiom, we ask for your forgiveness and beseech you to punish the child as you see fit."

Drake's face went white as the blood drained from it. Around him, the room's earlier raucousness faded into a heavy silence, every pair of eyes fixed on the scene.

He looked around desperately, seeking an ally, but found none; even those who had earlier shared his skepticism now averted their gazes, fearful of attracting the wrath of Axiom.

Illeana sneered. All of this opened her eyes to the hypocrisy and sliminess of these people. One moment, they were doing everything in their power to worm their way into the council.

Now?

Haha, she couldn't help but chuckle. Now each and every one of them was scrambling to suck up to Mr. Axiom, going so far as to throw their own child prodigy—such a young visionary at fourth shade—under the cart if it meant a better image in front of Mr. Axiom.

What a shitshow.

"Uncle. You…you can't do this to me."

The uncle in question completely ignored this plea and simply maintained his reverent posture.

Illeana turned her attention back towards Mr. Axiom. What will he do now? She had zero sympathy for this Drake or whatever. Anything that happened to him, he had it coming.

Heck, whatever happened to everyone here who'd planned to take over the world had it coming. However, she still hoped that Mr. Axiom would have mercy for those who were just going with the flow.

She massaged her head. She would never have expected this confluence of Visionaries to have so many twists and turns.

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After a while, when many more pleaded in their own ways, Mr. Axiom suddenly snapped his convergence note shut and shelved it.

With one hand casually in his pocket, he spoke in a clear, deliberate tone, "Your pleas and apologies mean nothing to me. I believe only in the balance. Save your breath. It’s your deeds that will determine your fate, not your futile appeals for mercy."

"I have no faith in the characters of you visionaries except for a select few." Unexpectedly, his gaze shifted towards Illeana, his eyes briefly softening with a flicker of appreciation.

Illeana stiffened, and as always, the vault chose this critical moment to instill into her a pulse of an emotion she didn't want—fanaticism. Something it had suppressed for her since Mr. Axiom's appearance.

The memory of Mr. Axiom's earlier warning, a silent rebuke that had even included her despite her actions, now seemed to dissolve into the chaos of her emerging emotions.

Confusion swirled within her. The boundary between her genuine feelings and those forced upon her by the vault blurred, leaving her uncertain and vulnerable.

She mentally fought back. No! But her body betrayed her inner turmoil. Her eyes lit up with an uncontrollable zeal, and before she could stop herself, she clasped the hem of her dress and curtsied deeply.

Mr. Axiom nodded and turned his gaze to a few others. Illeana completely ignored that and settled back down, trying to calm her racing heart. He appreciated my efforts! she thought, her mind a battlefield of conflicting emotions.

As she wrapped her head around these tumultuous feelings, Mr. Axiom spoke again, his voice cutting through the silence like a knife. "Despite the treachery displayed today, understand this—I am an arbiter of balance, not a deliverer of mercy or brutality. I am not swayed by sentiment or deceit."

"Those of you who dared to disrupt the order have not merely bent the rules; you have broken them. As such, while I refrain from extremes, I also do not turn a blind eye to calculated betrayal. This is not about vengeance; it is about rectitude. It's time for you all to confront the chaos you've sown."

Despite the harshness of his words, there was a clear mercy within them. The dark pressure constricting everyone's minds suddenly gave way and their expressions turned hopeful. Illeana managed to slow down and realized, Mr. Axiom is going to forgive them?

She didn't know what to feel about that. While forgiveness seemed right, some, like that inciteful teenager and the mastermind behind it all, surely deserved a harsher fate.

Turning his piercing gaze towards Rupert, Mr. Axiom commanded, "It's time to end this ruse." The message was clear, and Rupert, as if understanding his fate was sealed, began his descent.

The menacing red aura that had encircled him slowly dissipated as he returned to the ground.

Illeana's heart skipped a beat. He's surrendering! She almost couldn't believe this was happening. She had no idea how Mr. Axiom could know the trace of all these visionaries, but the proof was at hand, and there was no denying it.

Given his immense strength and intimate knowledge of their traces, he could reduce everyone in this hall to a mess of blood and gore with just a snap of his fingers.

Rupert turned towards Mr. Axiom, the voices of his emotions and reactions inaudible even to herself—a listener.

The whole crowd stopped their reverent praises and waited with bated breaths. Rupert, clutching the bulb of his cane, took a measured breath and locked eyes with Mr. Axiom. “I still believe your proposition will lead to a worse future, marked by significantly more deaths and a rampant loss of global representation to outsiders.”

His voice was steady, almost unnervingly calm, belying the fierce emotions she knew must be roiling beneath his composed exterior. It was a masterful suppression of rage from a man who had just watched his chance at ruling the world dissolve before an audience of erstwhile followers.

"Do not test my limits, Rupert." rasped Mr. Axiom with a chilling coldness, "You’ve tipped the scale too far already. Back down now, or I will be forced to restore the equilibrium myself."

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Rupert’s fingers twitched imperceptibly, but his face remained an impassive mask. He closed his middle eye—a silent concession—and with a final, deliberate tap of his cane, he turned away.

As he walked back to his seat, a ghostly haze obscured his features, masking any hint of the turmoil within. He settled to the empty throne next to the lord of Primordial Blood, his movements slow.

This extinguished the faint glimmer of hope that had persisted in some faces around the room. The realization set in, and many who'd been heaping praises on Mr. Axiom, thinking it to just be a temporary loss of pride, lost their voices.

However, Illeana felt miffed. She understood that Mr. Axiom owed her nothing—heck, she owed him for saving her. But seeing Rupert walk away unscathed after everything he had done to her stung deeply.

It just…

She closed her eyes and took a deep, steadying breath. No. It’s not Mr. Axiom’s role to act as jury, judge, and executioner. His purpose isn’t to distribute personal justice but to maintain the cosmic balance.

Realization dawned on her. She was being selfish, expecting a being like Mr. Axiom to avenge her personal grievances. Shaking her head, she fortified her resolve, I need to rise above this.

The failed assassination attempt was on her. If she had executed her part flawlessly, none of this would have escalated to such a crisis. Perhaps Mr. Axiom might have even commended her for independently resolving the issue.

Her resolve grew stronger, and she looked back. Mr. Axiom turned to the crowd and declared, "Consider this not just a rebuke but a final opportunity to realign with the principles that govern us all. While I am not omniscient like all of you hoped to be, know that if any of you disrupt the balance of the world too severely…"

Suddenly, as if his words were a physical force, everyone except for Illeana and a few others were violently pulled downward, their bodies strained under immense pressure.

Illeana watched, her eyes glued to his every action as her heart raced frantically.

In the shadowy room, where only Mr. Axiom's masked face was illuminated, he extended his hand decisively and declared, "For, there will be no further warnings."