Defiance of the Fall

There was no suspense after the envoys from the Erz'Kerus Clan made their hasty escape. Zac calmly watched as Ogras descended on the Main Branch Elders like a vengeful ghost. This chapter of Karma wasn't his to deal with, so Zac didn't join the slaughter. He only had Haro encircle the manor while pulling Ogras's grandfather and the fourth branch's elder to his side. The latter was frozen solid from shock, while Zac had to restrain Okral Azh'Rezak from jumping into the mayhem to stop his grandson.

"There's no returning now. Azh'Rezak was fated to disappear today, one way or another," Zac said.

"Killing kin to alleviate resentment is to replace one poison with another," Okral said with a shake of his head, though he stopped struggling against the Heavenrender Vine's restraints.

"Perhaps. But this way, it's Ogras who got to pick the poison."

"Ai, little Oggy," Okral whispered with sorrow in his eyes. "I failed you."

"Bah, what's the point of feeling broken up for those shameless bastards? We've bled until our veins ran dry to keep the clan aloft. And what's our reward? Bringing fifty descendants to Erz'Kerus to their five thousand, and only young women to be married into other families. Our lines would have ended," the other elder growled, his face full of resentment.

"I know...I'm sorry. I thought I had lost all my direct descendants, and I didn't consider your side. I just felt that it was an acceptable sacrifice, so long as a seed of our ancestors would live on," Okral sighed before turning toward Zac. "Young lord, can I ask how you know my Oggy? How did he become so powerful?"

"I think the latter is best explained by Ogras himself. As for how we know each other… Clan Azh'Rezak's incursion dropped right on my head. Your reared barghest were my first enemies in the integration," Zac said with a crooked smile, continuing when the faces of the elders paled in fright. "Ogras saved my life and brought the former members of your clan to my side. They became the first citizen of my empire. He's my close brother now."

"Then, what that rasc—uh, young master Ogras—said…" the other elder asked hopefully.

"Azh'Rezak has fallen, and your lands will become part of the Atwood Empire. However, defending this planet will waste too many resources, and I can't use the War System to relocate it to our side," Zac said. "Not to mention, I don't believe that's Ogras's intent."

"That's right," Ogras said as he appeared in a puff of shadows, looking refreshed.

Zac couldn't sense any energy fluctuations from him despite seeing shadows rip apart scores of main branch warriors. Zac wasn't even sure if it was the real Ogras standing before them. The demon hadn't just stepped into Middle Hegemony in this short duration. He had also mastered some very powerful abilities that meshed perfectly with his fighting style.

"We'll just have the fourth and seventh swear allegiance to the Atwood Empire and teleport them over to our world," Ogras continued. "What happens next is none of my concern."

"Bastard! You've been living well, I see! Yet not a word to your grandpa!"

Ogras grinned and easily dodged a couple of half-hearted swings. "I figured you could use the break, old man."

"Ai, the days I wasted sitting before your grave."

"Should have spent that time siring a few new descendants."

"Don't think I can't hit you just because you've turned into a shadow!" Okral glared before his eyes softened. "Boy, it's good that you're alive."

"It's good to see you again," Ogras smiled.

"But this... it's enough... Any more will only become chains weighing you down," Okral said, the screams of fear and despair around them underlining his point.

Ogras glanced at the ruins, eventually nodding. "I guess I deserve to get killed if any of these fools gain the strength to take revenge."

Zac had to agree with the assessment. All the elders were dead, along with most elites and budding talents. "Then I'll return for now. I'll send some people over to help with the transfer."

"I'll talk to you later," Ogras agreed.

Zac was soon back in his compound, where he took a much-needed rest. He still felt drained after extracting some essence of his Life-attuned constitution, so he took a midday nap. He only woke up four hours later, unable to remember the last time he slept for so long.

Life on the frontlines had never allowed for real rest. He was either traveling, fighting, or cultivating in an endless cycle of carnage. Zac even felt lost now that there wasn't anything requiring his immediate attention.

Normally, Zac would take the opportunity to work on some aspect of his cultivation. His Soul, for instance, hadn't seen much improvement lately because of his time constraints. The two seals hidden in his Spatial Ring were a reminder that it would soon be put to the test.

Each seal led to a hidden cave, one on Earth and the other on Ensolus. Each held one of the remnants which he'd already bought from the Merit Exchange. Just purchasing them had almost woken up the slumbering remnants despite the System's absolute seal. Buying them early was an insurance, but also a test of sorts. For his plan to work, he would have to bring the sealed remnants with him to the Zurbor sector.

Despite being aware of the upcoming challenge, Zac chose to wander across his island. The flourishing streets filled with people were a stark contrast to the repressed atmosphere on Ogras's homeworld. Eventually, his meandering journey led him out of the city and toward the military complex. He didn't enter, instead turning toward the shores.

There was a small residential district nestled between the academy and the attached military base, mostly occupied by officials and lecturers. Zac passed by the buildings unseen, eventually reaching a secluded cliffside leading into the ocean. He jumped down and disappeared, leaving ripples of an illusion array in his wake.

The waves gently pushed against the reinforced pier, forming a soothing song of the sea. The distant gleaming lights of civilization formed a starry backdrop in place of the overcast night sky. Zac silently stood atop the small platform at the pier's edge, unthinking as he looked at the deep-sea stone erected in its center.

"There you are."

Zac glanced over, finding Ogras stepping out of the night sky. It was only then Zac realized he hadn't moved for almost half an hour.

"There was something about your grandfather that reminded me of him," Zac sighed. "Is everything settled?"

"It'll take a while to gather and ferry everyone over, but that part doesn't need me. Grandpa is overseeing the exodus with the help of your soldiers."

"How is he?"

"Angry and disappointed, but he'll come around. The relief and excitement of those who'll live will wear him down," Ogras said as he placed a small flask by the memorial tablet. "Do you agree with him? Too ruthless?"

Zac understood what Ogras was getting at. He had only killed a few thousand demons in his purge, but the actual death toll would be far greater. There was no way Erz'Kerus would dare take away the remnants of Clan Azh'Rezak, not that they had any reason to after Ogras removed anyone of value.

Meanwhile, the Atwood Empire would rescind its claim on the distant planet as soon as everyone had been sent back to Earth, leaving the vast majority of the clan to fend for themselves. Ogras could have easily saved those people. Teleportation wasn't cheap, but transporting a few hundred thousand people within the sector wasn't much of a hit to their finances.

And yet, Ogras decisively severed their path to survival, sticking to his promise of only taking his branch and the ones that had stood by their side and faced suppression as a result.

"What qualifications do I have to talk about ruthlessness at this point?" Zac sighed. "Their fate would be the same even if we hadn't appeared. Besides, the Kan'Tanu aren't culling populations now that they have such a decisive advantage. They still have a chance of survival if my plan works, even if they have to go through some suffering first."

The silence stretched for a minute until Ogras sighed.

"It's nice. I think the old man would have liked it."

"I think so, too."

"I've only been gone a few years, and there's so many faces missing. Both here and back at the clan," Ogras said, taking a swig from another bottle. "How're you doing with everything?"

"I'm tired. Tired of fighting, of the death all around me," Zac said, looking down at Sap Trang's final resting place. "But we can only keep going."

"The lonely road of power," Ogras said. "Alright, enough of this. I'm still waiting on that drink, you know."

"Let's go."

The two returned to his courtyard, where Ogras shared his experiences since they parted. Zac was surprised to learn he'd been training under the Faceless Assassins he encountered in the Tower of Eternity and that the Ponel Esmeralda mentioned was its founding patriarch. The demon's exploits as a bounty hunter paying for his return fare with heretical cultivators ignited Zac's longing for adventure, one that didn't involve so much bloodshed as the soul-numbing slaughter of the war.

In return, Zac shared his experiences since he secluded himself to form his Cosmic Core, from the general progression of the war and his dealings with the Undead Empire to the events in the Centurion Lighthouse. The only part he didn't mention was his recent involvement with the Sindris Clan, who had repeatedly approached him by infiltrating the Field Armies.

His split bodies had unsurprisingly failed to trick them, considering they knew all about the Kayar-Elu's heritage. For now, things hadn't progressed much, though the Sindris Clan had agreed to help by gathering intelligence and taking on a peripheral role in his plan. Zac hadn't given anything tangible in return, and the Sindris Clan hadn't asked for anything.

They had repeatedly mentioned there was a place for him back at their home and that returning with them was his best bet at understanding his bloodline. Of course, Zac wouldn't take them up on such an offer with or without his mother's warnings. It was perhaps possible to facilitate a cooperation agreement like the one he had with the Undead Empire, though it seemed laden with pitfalls. Unlike the empire, he didn't have protection from allies like the Abyssal Shores when dealing with the Technocrat outcasts.

It wasn't that he didn't trust the demon with these matters, and Ogras was one of the few who knew of his Technocrat heritage. Zac didn't want to inform Esmeralda of this aspect of his background. She already knew enough of his secrets, and there was no way to know what could come back to haunt him in the future.

It was a liberating feeling to exchange stories by a campfire with an old friend, especially now that he'd fully withdrawn from the frontlines. Battles were still raging on the graded battlefronts, but the dangers and losses were far lower there. Eventually, they were all caught up, at which point Zac moved to his plans for the future and his quest to awaken the Foreign Gods.

"What a mess," Ogras eventually exhaled. "So we have around 50 days, according to the Numerologist? What happens then?"

"I'm not sure. At first, we thought it might have to do with shifts in the Eternal Storm making access impossible or that someone would get to it before us. We're not the only ones looking for opportunities in that area. But lately… I've been wondering if it's the war that's the problem."

"You're thinking the Ruthless Heavens will close down the battlefronts?"

"Either that or start another phase of the war that will restrict our path to the Zurbor Sector. Maybe the battlefronts will be shifted to only lead to contested areas in the Zecia sector. A final defense, of sorts."

"Seems as likely as anything else. Why would the Ruthless Heavens waste energy teleporting us to another sector when we can't even protect our back garden? But why do you want to include outsiders in your scheme? It spells trouble."

"I don't have much of a choice," Zac sighed. "I needed something to get the Undead Empire off my back. The events in the lighthouse left our cooperation rocky. Our trade channels were being squeezed, and I worried they'd assassinate my other half if they didn't see a path for 'Arcaz' to reclaim the top spot."

"That can't possibly be the full picture," Ogras concluded. "You'd rather take your chances and hoard the opportunity than involve people with suspect motives. You need them for something."

"You know me well," Zac smiled and threw over an Information Crystal holding the intelligence gathered by the Sindris Clan. "It'll be almost impossible to reach the Foreign Gods without their help. See for yourself."

"What the hell? Why are there so many Kan'Tanu stationed near our target? And there are even outsiders running around? Have they discovered your plan?"

"No," Zac said. "Well, not this particular rift, at least. It turns out the border we're aiming for is pretty special."

"The Imperial Graveyard," Ogras muttered as he read on. "Well, it makes sense the puppets would be found in such a place."

Zac had initially worried Ventus had made a mistake when his detailed battle plan led his battlefronts away from the three known border regions of the Zurbor Sector. However, he'd kept going after measurements confirmed he was gradually closing in on their destination. It was only two months ago they'd discovered they were approaching a hidden fourth border by interrogating a connected World Lord.

The Imperial Graveyard was the remnant of an ancient battlefield where the Inner Worlds of thousands of fallen Monarchs and Autarchs had mixed with the turbulent space of the Eternal Storm, forming a unique region full of danger and opportunity. The Kan'Tanu World Lord had no idea who'd fought in the ancient battle, but it wasn't hard for Zac to realize the Limitless Empire was involved after hearing some descriptions.

Exploring the area was incredibly dangerous because it combined the dangers of the Million Gates Territory with the sort of threats he'd faced in the ancient lighthouse. Spatial storms, attacks from malfunctioning weaponry, and War Arrays that had turned into dangerous Natural Formations fought to take out any explorers entering the graveyard.

And yet, the Kan'Tanu constantly kept significant forces there. It wasn't an exaggeration to say the Kan'Tanu lost more men to the Imperial Graveyard every day than any given Field Army. Even one of the seven chapters had its headquarters blocking the entrances—the Chapter of Carnal Resolution, the defenders of the cult doctrine.

The placement was both strategic and symbolic, considering more than half of the Kan'Tanu's heritage came from the Imperial Graveyard. The Kan'Tanu's pope had discovered the graveyard back when he was only a discarded disciple of the Black Heart Sect. He'd been a Late Hegemon whose core was almost crippled during the intense internal struggle of the sect.

Knowing he would just become fertilizer to a Remoulded or Reincarnator if he returned, he chose to flee to the frontier. Discovering the Imperial Graveyard was the lucky break he needed to be reborn. The pope slowly took control over the nearby factions of the Zurbor Sector, using Heart Curses to enslave key members of the clans.

Eventually, the Church of Kan'Tanu was born, and it only took him sixty-thousand years to take complete control over the sector by relying on the techniques and manuals he'd extracted from the Imperial Graveyard. Since then, almost a million years had passed, and nothing remained of Zurbor's original factions.

Even with the war raging, the excavation was in full swing. The pope was most likely desperate to find an opportunity to break through. He was over a million years old already, having surpassed the natural lifespan of a Monarch. He was running out of time, even if he'd extended the time he had through normal and unorthodox means.

Meanwhile, the nature of the ruins made the Imperial Graveyard the prime source of seals for the Zurbor Sector, much like the Million Gates Territory used to be for Zecia. The outsiders had already caught on, and some opted to explore its depths instead of joining the war.

"This is insane," Ogras vehemently rejected. "Why not just rob the Kan'Tanu Grand Cathedral while we're at it?"

Zac remembered the shock he'd felt upon reading the reports the first time. Even the usually boisterous Kator had been subdued upon realizing the dangers he'd face if he wanted to join Zac on his mad caper.

"Please tell me you have a plan."

"Oh, you're going to love this," Zac grinned, and Ogras's face collapsed.