A figure stood calmly in a field of molten corpses. The ground was glass, and the air sizzled from the heat.

"M-Merek! Y-you already have enough to ascend! W-What else do you need?"

Viscount Merek stared down at the battered man kneeling before him. Despite the sheer devastation around him, his expression barely changed.

"I decide what is necessary… and what is not."

The battered man coughed violently.

"You think you can deal with the consequences of this? The iron faction will not take this lightly. You will di—"

Merek waved his arm.

A tidal burst of molten fire erupted, so hot it looked liquid. The iron viscount's screams tore through the air as he thrashed about, but Merek simply watched, unblinking, as he became ash.

He calmly raised his gaze. From far behind, his army stared at him with awe and fear. It was to be expected. After all, they had just erased the last major faction in the viscount layer.

The death of the battered man sealed it.

The viscount layer belonged to the Redflames now.

'…Hm? What is this feeling?'

A sudden rush of thrill shot through him. But it wasn't this victory. He'd led enough massacres to know what that felt like.

This was something else.

Merek paused his thoughts as his generals approached with tensed faces.

"My lord…"

They dropped to their knees as they reached him, bowing deeply.

"What is it?"

"…ahem."

Merek narrowed his eyes, seeing their hesitation. The temperature began to climb.

"I won't repeat myself."

"…he's here, my lord."

"Who?"

"Atticus Ravenstein."

"…"

The generals became uneasy when Merek didn't say anything. They swallowed as they looked up, and froze. Merek was smiling. A slow, mad, scalding smile.

"You're positive?"

"Yes, my lord. The bounty confirmed it."

Merek's eyes glowed red hot.

'Finally.'

The one he'd been waiting for had finally arrived. The child that had dared go against the Redflames. That had dared kill two of his sons and humiliated him.

'Atticus Ravenstein.'

Steam hissed from Merek's burning skin.

"Where is he?"

The generals exchanged fearful glances, unsure of who would answer. They flinched as Merek's aura slammed down on them.

"T-the northern peripheral, m-my lord!" one of them answered.

Merek frowned.

'That's too far…'

The viscount layer had been designed specifically for viscounts. Its vastness could not be stressed. Though they were gods of unimaginable powers, trying to cross such large distances would still take time.

'I can't give him time to gain power.'

True willers were dangerous and unpredictable. As a newly ascended baron, Atticus had defeated two of his sons with multiple minor worlds.

He'd passed the peak of the viscount layer, but allowing Atticus to grow would be a mistake.

"Who's close to him?"

The generals thought quickly.

"Master Emberion and Lady Pyra… my lord. They're currently dealing with the minor factions operating in that region."

'Those two…'

They were two of his children, among others who'd made it to the viscount layer.

'They should be enough.'

They were at least mid viscount level. For a newly ascended viscount, true will or not, they should be more than enough.

"Alert them. Have them bring him to me alive. Do it now."

"As you wish…"

The generals bowed deeply, then vanished to fulfil his orders.

Merek turned to the ruined city. Only ash and smoke remained. The air trembled around his body.

Now he understood the thrill.

'He's finally here.'

…

The princess felt a surreal energy forcibly moving her body and frowned.

'What the hell is this?'

That something would dare touch, talk less of move her without her permission… the audacity alone made her fingers twitch.

But she held her irritation back.

The last thing she wanted was Kiara going on another begging spree.

'Hmph. I really need to teach her some backbone. The world should bow to us, not the other way around.'

Still, as the darkness dragged them along, her mind kept flashing with images of Atticus. The boy who had shocked her far more than she'd ever admit aloud.

'Who the hell is he?'

She had taken pity on Magnus, who claimed to have been searching for his grandson, and helped him. Her every intention had been to leave the moment the grandson was found.

But Atticus' actions with her pursuer and his champion had shocked her. So she'd decided to follow him, but the shock refused to stop piling up.

Atticus' fight with Raziel had been nothing short of extraordinary. Since when did barons have such powers?

But now, she wasn't even sure why she was still following him.

'A servant… yes, that's why.'

Someone as magnificent as her deserved a servant worthy of her presence. Atticus fit the criteria perfectly.

'I'll show him how amazing I am, and he'll be begging to serve me. Hehehe.'

As she started laughting, her movement suddenly paused, and she felt the surreal energy vanish. A blinding flash of light engulfed her vision.

'Finally.'

As the light dimmed, the princess found herself standing in the middle of a scorched forest.

"Damn. Rip forest."

She clicked her tongue. The once endless greenery was now a wasteland of ash and charcoal. Magnus and Kiara both wore tense expressions.

A burn of this magnitude could not be a natural occurrence.

Only a few trees survived, and most had turned into ashes.

It was the aftermath of gods.

Kiara knelt slightly, scanning the area. "A large scale battle was fought here. I can feel the remnants of people's wills."

Magnus nodded grimly.

"Tch. Dying because of some little fire. Weaklings," the princess muttered, kicking a charred object. It burst into dust and she recoiled.

"Ugh!"

She shook her leg aggressively, trying to get the ashes off her beautiful shoes.

'This bastard.'

When it didn't come off, she raised her hand, ready to incinerate the dust and the ground it stood on with her will, when Kiara rushed in and cleaned it for her. Only then did the princess calm down.

"Well, what now?" she said, turning toward Atticus. "Why the hell are you so silent?"

Magnus and Kiara also turned to Atticus. She was right, since they arrived, he hadn't spoken a word.

Atticus' head was slightly lowered.

"Atticus…"

Magnus called out, but his expression darkened when he received no response.

He reached toward him.

"Are you alright—"

"Wait!"

Magnus froze. The princess stepped forward, eyes narrowing.

"Stay away from him."

"Why?"

"Just take a look at his will. It's unstable."

Magnus examined Atticus and frowned as he noticed the flickering will.

"What is happening to him?"

"By my guess…" the princess said, her expression sharpening, "he's consolidating his power."

But inwardly, she was shocked.

'How many worlds did he absorb…?'

She'd felt the shift the instant she arrived at the viscount layer. She'd absorbed about seventy worlds in total in the Baron layer and had to deal with the extra surge of twenty minor worlds. But still, it occurred instantly.

That Atticus was frozen could only mean one thing. The number of worlds he absorbed in the Baron layer was extraordinary.

'How long will he take?'

"M-my lady!"

The princess' gaze snapped toward Kiara, who pointed at the sky with shaky arms.

She turned to the sky, and froze.

The sky was blotted out by fiery attacks all blazing down towards them.

They were under attack.

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