(Theitus Kanmori’s POV)

— An hour after Kazu and Isabelle entered the Mana Art —

“It’s getting pretty late, how are they not back yet? I can’t sense anything beyond the mountain ranges… ugh, no doubt it was Isabelle’s idea to run off.” Altear’s voice rang out staring out my wide office window with her arms crossed.

“The mountains of Mythral wouldn’t allow you to sense their auras, even if you wanted to. You know that. They’re fine, Kazu would never let anything happen to her.” I replied while a deep breath left my lips as I held a one of the numerous reports from red manes on the mainland.

The work was always endless but necessary, if not for the Red Manes I would be blind to the world beyond Mythral and possible threats. But there was nothing to worry about there. Often times some of these reports were information, of the activities and events happening on the mainland, other times it was resources the red manes set to deliver to Mythral.

A network that kept this legacy placed in my care safe and thriving.

Despite all that, Altear was right, it was getting rather late, and the sun was well below the horizon and yet Kazu and Isabelle were still out.

I looked up at Altear and noticed a clear concern in her eyes, “that’s not the point, Theitus, how are you not worried about them?” She asked causing me to shake my head.

"Of course, I'm worried, but they're both capable of taking care of themselves or have you forgotten their training?" I asked and she sighed again, knowing it was no use to argue with me, "We haven’t felt any abnormalities in Mythral, or do you doubt our ability to protect this place?" I asked which caused her to glare at me for a moment.

"Don't be an idiot, of course I don't doubt our abilities. It's just... well, maybe I’m becoming softer in my old age," she giggled still looking out the window with a slight smile on her lips.

I did chuckle a bit at her honest words, "you're as old as me Altear, I’m certainly no old man," I laughed again but knowing what she meant and felt that way too. “Besides you know Isabelle has Kazu at her side, they're both capable, they'll be back soon." I repeated with my utmost confidence.

for a moment a silence fell between us, but that wasn’t because of our conversation. There was an almost unnatural shift in the air, one not entirely normal in this place. And yet their existence was always present here.

“Long time no see, Theitus,”

The sudden voice caused Altear and I to snap our attention to the origin, I felt like a fool for not sensing it earlier, but the better question was why a Primordial Demon was here, so casually in the palace.

A smirk formed across its lips as my presence alone was more than enough to amuse him. The pale skinned man stood with a grace, and attire tailored to perfection with scarlet accents and a thin black ribbon around his neck all which complimented his jet black hair. And yet, I never did recall him having such a familiar amber gaze.

"Noctis, why are you here?”

My voice rang clearly a full of annoyance for his sudden appearance and his amusement in doing so.

He snicked before glancing at me before speaking up.

"Now, now, don't be like that, I simply wanted to pay a visit, you can't fault me for that," he snickered while my own gaze only remained on him as he insisted on blabbering. “it’s not exactly like the barrier of Mythral stops primordials from entering, Theitus. But I do find myself surprised you didn’t sense my presence sooner," he snickered once again with that annoying smirk, I remember.

Altear glared at him from her spot, "Enough Noctis, why are you here?" she asked with no patience to play games.

“Ah, of course Altear, my apologies," he replied before letting out a deep sigh. "I did not mean to interrupt your pleasant evening, but I did want to speak with you about the Celestial demon you seemed to know as Kazu,” he began, clearly pleased by my own irritation as he went on. “Did you really think, I didn’t notice his existence, if you didn’t know I was the first to notice. But as always you Gods and Deities are always in the way.” He sighed.

"Hmph, Noctis, you should watch your tone when speaking to us," Altear remarked but I raised my hand to silence her.

I knew she was right, but it was also clear that Noctis had no intention of bringing harm to Kazu, to be more precise, Noctis wouldn’t harm his own kind. The origin of what Xiao really were before the Tian Sovereign offered them a place at his side, as celestial demons, Loyal to the Tian Sovereign.

But despite this, he was still a Primordial Demon one who never truly lived by the rules of Gods or Deities. “If you have a point to all this, get to it Noctis." I spoke up with a deep sigh, causing him to snicker a bit once again.

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"To explain everything, it would take far too long, but as of recent I have been taking note of his presence, I didn’t stop watching him after he had a little incident with two rather dreadful Celestials. I take it the warrior god himself told you all about that… the depressed old man, honestly, I still don't know why he didn't take care of that other god, himself. That war really drained his powers…” he muttered the last part to himself as if he were mentioning all this on purpose to upset me, but my brow did twitch at his remarks.

"Because that god, he was against wasn’t actually in this dimension. His spirit was simply being projected as his physical form resided elsewhere, so he could not attack or defend himself without revealing to the world that, he still existed, and yet he did so anyways, to protect Kazu, do you think I do not know about such things," I remarked with a sigh to which he smirked waving off my statement.

"Ah yes, he did take that into account, didn't he? it was still interesting to watch, but here we are almost a year down the line and the Monarchs haven’t found anything on the Warrior god since then and Kazu is living happily in the Warrior Gods little paradise. It's interesting to see how things have turned out." He chuckled before continuing his story.

"But you and I both know he can’t stay here forever, he’s not the protector you all once knew as Xiao, his shackles have been undone.”

Altear and I shared a glance, but Noctis was only further amused, and it wasn't as if we didn’t know that. “His control over his Esoteric Restrictions and magical energy is phenomenal, and with that control his memories are kept in balance. Even now I'm sure his mind has grown stronger, and his bond with Isabelle is…” I said before Noctis interrupted me.

"Yes, yes, but is that really true, without shackles, Kazu is now free of all that once bound him to this place. He’s more than what he once was. He possesses both Primordial and Celestial powers… he’s practically a true Demon God. And you mentioned the girl, you must have noticed it by now Theitus? About Isabelle...” Noctis asked with his smirk still planted firmly on his face like he had just told a joke.

I began to wonder just how long this sly demon had been here, watching and analyzing everything around him but I knew exactly what he was talking about. “Her connection to Kazu was a surprise to us, and it seems that their bond will continue to grow. I am still concerned, however." I said which caused Noctis to shake his head.

"Mmm, yes, that was quite a surprise. To see how he shared his nature, his powers with her, sounds like communion magic? Doesn’t it Theitus, ahaha… Kazu is basically her god. But if we’re being honest, no one here in Mythral could receive that same gift from him. She was a bit unique in that regard," he said with a laugh.

I couldn’t deny his logic on the subject and knew exactly why Isabelle attuned so well to his powers, his nature, that fused into her before she broke through the 2nd stage of cultivation.

Isabelle didn’t exactly have a communion to The Tian Sovereign in her blood like many here did, which was caused slow rate of cultivation and mastery of Zenki Ryu. in other words, without that communion, she became perfectly attuned with Kazu, which enhanced her entire being.

"Well, Noctis, what exactly is your point? you seem to know everything, so what is it you want to tell us," I asked, and he only let out a breath of amusement.

"You really are quite a dense man, Theitus. You all say this Kazu, deserves a second life he should enjoy, and I agree with that, but the simple fact is you can't deny he's changing, he's becoming a new entity. he questions the very nature of himself, he’s certainly gotten closer to Isabelle… is that because he remembers a certain feeling around her, he once felt with his past comrades? The same ones, that kept him grounded. Or perhaps his memories of the war have started to surface, if I need to remind you of the Ghost of the Xios,” he asked before a silence fell between us all.

Noctis let out another breath of amusement as if he was leading up to something grand.

"The point of my visit, Theitus, is simple, and it's one I had expected you to at least give some thought to. His future? Or did you plan to keep him prisoner in your sovereign’s little paradise?" He asked, his words dripping with venom as his amber gaze cast upon me.

“What would you have us do send him back to the mainland and blindly hope he lives a long and happy life. The monarchs won’t accept him, they hate his very existence, and what about the being he encountered, for all we know he could be waiting for him to leave.” Altear interjected with her arms crossed and her scowl growing as he spoke.

Noctis simply shook his head. "True, but you know it yourselves, that being wasn’t exactly confirmed to be in a state of existence, that encounter was very difficult to do for any sort of deity. Not to mention, the monarchs have become so arrogant these past few centuries, and not to mention, they’re so busy with the latest terrorist attacks from an interesting cult… you’ve no doubt heard about," he said bringing up good points and facts but still I had many uncertainties.

I let out another sigh as I pondered these questions, “you want him to return, so he can make the same bond he created with Isabelle, but why?”

Noctis let out an amused snicker before replying. "Because the man he was, and the man I will refer to as my precious lord, had made me a promise, that he would show me the truth of this world and offered me a place in it. He will take it all for himself, ahaha…. Well… I do suppose my lord is about done with his fun,” he said which caused a look of confusion to wash over my face before he continued. “Watching him in the heat of battle, is truly a marvellous sight." He said with a palm on his chest like he couldn't contain how much joy he felt.

Altear narrowed her gaze catching onto the words he spoke. "And what are you implying?" She asked.

"I believe it's clear, while we were having such an interesting conversation, Kazu and Isabelle were in a Mana Art of mine,” he said which caused Altear to quickly flash before him, her fists clenching and her aura beginning to shift as she let out a growl of frustration.

"What!?" She growled which only caused Noctis to laugh.

"My, my, it's not like they're going to be killed. There's nothing to worry about, Altear. They're just having fun," He remarked, causing Altear regain some of her composure, but she still seemed tense as she took her position beside me, once again.

And yet Noctis smirked as if on que with a sudden shift in the air, one that shook Mythral to its core, the very air itself seemed to quake. Then within the distance and toward the mountain range, a bolt of a black flame infused with orange hues. A primordial flame of absolute chaos screamed through the air seeming to pierce the heavens before a dull thud was heard from within the mountains.

A small tremor washed over us all as we stared at the mountains, well aware of what that sound was and exactly who had caused it.