"What are you going to do?" Blob finally asked, breaking the silence that had been gnawing at the room. His small form drifted closer, eyes narrowing with worry. After a pause, he added carefully, "Iâd suggest calming down first. Think through this situation properly before you do something reckless. That Lyra girlâwhatever else she might be hidingâwasnât lying about the twin demons. If theyâre really at the peak of Mythic Rank, then you donât stand a chance. Not now. Thatâs not an insult, Maxâthatâs coming from me, someone who knows your full strength better than anyone."
Max turned his head slowly, his crimson eyes burning with a quiet, simmering rage. He stared at Blob as if the words were smoke drifting past him. Then, his lips parted, voice steady but sharp.
"Do you think Iâm not calm enough? Does this look like Iâm losing control?" His aura flared briefly, pressing against the runes of the cubic prison, but his voice remained measured. "No. I am calm. Too calm, maybe. And Iâve already thought this throughâlong before tonight. I want to slaughter those demons. Every last one of them. I want to wipe their existence from this world."
His fists trembled as his eyes glowed even brighter, the infernal energy around him rising like a storm barely contained. "Do you know whatâs worse than losing everyone I cared about? Itâs knowing that they all died because of me. That my existence, my power, my curseâwhatever the hell you want to call itâwas the reason they were slaughtered. The people of Valora Continent. My friends. The ones I swore Iâd protect. Gone. And every time I close my eyes, I see it. The guiltâitâs crushing me. I canât breathe under it. I canât live doing nothing with this weight pressing down on my chest."
His voice cracked, crimson tears threatening to fall. His jaw tightened as he forced the words out. "You donât know what this feels like, Blob. I feel pathetic. Worthless. Like a piece of shit who couldnât keep anything safe. And above all of that..." His hand clenched so tightly the veins stood out along his arm, and his voice dropped to a near whisper. "Thereâs this ever-growing desire to kill. A fire that wonât go out. Itâs been raging in my heart since that day, eating me alive. I canât ignore it. I canât control it. I canât live with it."
The tears finally slid down his cheeks, burning against his skin like molten glass.
Blob stayed quiet for a moment, watching his friend break in front of him. Then, with a sudden shift in tone, he nodded firmly. "You know what? Fuck them all. Iâm with you, buddy. Iâve seen you grow, seen everything youâve endured. And seeing you like thisâbroken, suffocatingâI feel pathetic too. So go ahead. Do what you want. Chase what your heart demands. If itâs slaughter you want, then let the world drown in blood. Iâll be right here. Watching. Standing with you. And if you die..." His voice softened. "At least you wonât die alone."
Max inhaled sharply, his shoulders trembling as he reached up to wipe the tears away with the back of his hand. He gave Blob a single nod, a faint shadow of gratitude flickering through his red eyes.
"So..." Blob asked quietly, though the tension never left his tone. "What are you going to do? Because let me remind youâthis prison youâre in... it isnât something you can break with your current strength. Not as you are right now."
Maxâs expression darkened, the flicker of gratitude vanishing under cold resolve. His voice came out flat, yet heavy with intent. "I know. And I already have something in mind. Iâve been planning it since the moment they locked me in here."
Blob gave a slow nod. "Alright. Then you focus on that. Iâll keep an eye on Lenavira. Whatever happens, she wonât be left unprotected."
Max glanced at Lenaviraâs unconscious figure on the bed, his crimson eyes softening for the briefest moment before hardening again. He lowered himself back down to the floor, crossing his legs, and shut his eyes. His aura pulsed once, then slowly sank inward, condensing.
And then he resumed. The same silent, grim task he had been repeating for hoursâthe one that gnawed at the runic prison with every breath, every thought, every ounce of infernal will he poured into it.
***
The next day dawned heavy with anticipation. The arrival of the delegation from the Four God Nation stirred the entire Great Ruler Empire. Guards lined the palace halls, attendants bowed in silence, and the air itself seemed to grow warmer as flames rippled faintly through the grand corridors.
The visitors came from the Phoenix God Nation. Their presence alone carried an oppressive majestyârobes embroidered with flaming phoenixes, every step steady and confident. At their head walked a middle-aged man with long crimson hair that flowed down his back like a waterfall of fire. His expression was calm, almost regal, but there was no mistaking the weight of authority he carried. This was Aden Fireborne, the leader of the Phoenix God Nation.
Beside him, a young woman walked with her head slightly lowered, her eyes troubled. Alice. Her crimson hair shimmered under the light filtering through the palace windows, but her usual arrogance was absent. Instead, there was only unease.
She finally broke the silence. "Father... I know what you are doing is for Maxâs protection. I understand that. But he wonât like this treatment. Youâre locking him away, treating him like a danger instead of trusting him. If anything, this will only make him angrier. It will make him hate the Four God Nation." Her voice trembled slightly at the end, the worry in her tone impossible to hide.
Aden glanced at her, his steps never faltering. His calm voice filled the hall, steady as stone. "I know, Alice. Do you think I donât understand that boyâs temperament? But you must also understandâthis decision doesnât rest solely in my hands. It is the unanimous agreement of all the leaders of the Middle Domain. When a thousand voices rise in unity, a single disagreement means nothing. Even if I stood against it, nothing would change."