Zeke's eyes felt as though they might burst. The pressure had already ruptured several vessels, leaving him in a state almost as grisly as that of his counterpart.
However, unlike Helena's, his condition was not caused by any external force, but by the sheer intensity of the mental focus he imposed on himself. It was a level of concentration so extreme that his body had begun to suffer the consequences.
It was not unwelcome. Pain, above all else, helped to clear the mind. Under normal circumstances, Zeke would have relied on his Mind Mana for that purpose, but he could not trust it now, not in the presence of Augustus.
Meanwhile, his counterpart, who was in an even more wretched state, seemed completely at ease.
"You said something interesting earlier," Augustus commented leisurely. "About the human element. About taking risks." He began to circle Zeke, disappearing from view as he moved behind him.
"Personally, I abhor such practices. Taking risks, even calculated ones, always leaves the possibility of failure. But..." Augustus came back into view, his glowing eyes locked onto Zeke's. "For you, it makes sense."
Despite knowing better, Zeke could not help but listen.
"You must have realized by now that you entered the game too late," They continued. "The board was already set before you were even born. And nobody will give you the time to grow. Not me, and not those fools you consider allies."
Augustus was now fully behind him, yet his voice remained clear. "They may support you now, but only because you are a useful tool. The moment you become a genuine threat, they will turn on you."
He stepped back into view, and for the first time, the smile had vanished from his face. "...Like they turned on me."
After that brief moment, Augustus resumed circling, his smile returning. "Therefore, I cannot help but applaud your decisiveness, if nothing else. You have certainly seized every opportunity to reach your current strength. But, and I say this with the best of intentions, are you really sure you have not taken too many risks?"
He moved back to the front, counting on his fingers. "Beast blood is corrupting your body as we speak. Meanwhile, that little spirit of yours has already begun to corrupt your mind."
Augustus shook his head. "Like a pig fattened before a feast, you may have grown quickly, but your foundation is built on borrowed strength from tainted sources."
He clicked his tongue. "You could have truly become someone if you had devoted yourself to a more orthodox path. But alas, it is already too late for that."
Zeke bit back his words and focused on steadying his mind. This was not something worth arguing over. He had his path, and he would not be swayed by a few words.
"You probably think I am trying to lead you astray." His smile turned impish. "But in reality, I have no reason to do that."
Zeke felt the figure behind him draw closer. Her chin rested on his shoulder, her breath brushing his ear as she whispered, "Truth is, I do not believe Augustus even knows who you are."
Zeke's mind reeled, threatening to break his control. He could not help it. The words were too confusing. Augustus? Why refer to himself like that, and why claim he did not know him?
A chuckle sounded from behind. "You really thought I was him, didn't you? I can tell. Your type always had an overinflated sense of self. But let me tell you one thing. The real Augustus is far too busy to deal with the likes of you."
"...Then who are you?"
Zeke did not want to engage. It felt as though he was walking straight into a trap, but the question was too important.
"Me?" A soft hum followed. "I suppose you could call me the Guardian." The guardian pointed at their own face. "It is my job to make sure that none of the nodes are taken. Nothing more."
Zeke heard a soft chuckle from behind. "In a sense, it is your fault that I am here. If you had only tried to kill her like you did the others, I would not have had to intervene."
Zeke's mind was in turmoil. He did not want to believe what he was hearing. He wanted to tell himself it was all lies, but he could not. The words made too much sense. They explained too much. After all, if the Emperor had truly been watching and intended to act against him, then why wait until Helena was on the verge of death? He could have taken control immediately.
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Besides, it was somewhat arrogant to assume that an Exarch would personally descend just to deal with him. The last Exarch sent by the Empire had been in response to an army of ten thousand, and even then, it had not been the Emperor himself.
Yet despite his growing doubt, Zeke did not dare loosen his grip on his mind. Even if this was not the Emperor, it did not mean that this so-called Guardian would be easy to handle. After all, if they were responsible for protecting the Empire's mental network, they couldn't be a simple character.
"What's your true identity?" Zeke asked through gritted teeth.
The guardian chuckled. "Wouldn't you like to know... Too bad that I have no interest in explaining. The only reason I have even come out this time is that the opportunities to manifest have become quite rare as of late. Frankly, aside from you, there are not many left foolish enough to try and take a Geistreich alive."
Zeke could almost hear the smirk in the guardian's voice as it continued. "If you need further proof that your allies do not care about you, you need only look at that. They all know about me."
"You seem quite eager to drive a wedge between us for someone who claims not to care," Zeke replied.
He felt Helena's breath brush against his ear in response, hot and sticky, carrying the scent of blood.
"Believe whatever you want..."
Zeke paused. Somehow, he found himself beginning to trust some of what the Guardian was saying... which was a troubling sign. Could it be that he had already lost control of his mind despite everything?
It did not feel that way, but that was precisely what made Mind Magic so terrifying. Even if he were being influenced, he would not know.
To regain some measure of control, Zeke decided to change the subject. If the guardian truly had no intention of harming him, then perhaps he could use this chance to learn something.
"...I find it hard to believe that Augustus would not know about me," Zeke said. "I may not be his greatest adversary, but it still seems unlikely that he would not even be aware of me."
The guardian responded by lightly biting Zeke's ear before answering. "When I say Augustus, I mean the main consciousness. Naturally, some of the lesser fragments of his mind will know about you. But the main consciousness? The real Augustus? Unlikely. He has not concerned himself with worldly affairs for a very long time."
"Are you one of those lesser fragments as well?" Zeke asked.
The guardian fell silent for a moment, then chuckled. "Oops. You figured it out. I suppose you could call me his left hand... no, that is too much. His little finger, if you must."
Zeke was not sure whether he could truly believe the guardian's words. But if they were true, then the Emperor was even more terrifying than he had imagined.
Not only today, but every other event he had attributed to Augustus had in fact been carried out by mere fragments of his will. This entire war, the provocation against the elves, and even the time he had supposedly faced Sheol had all been the work of those fragments.
What a terrifying thought.
If that was the case, however, then one question troubled Zeke more than anything else. And he had a feeling the Guardian would not mind answering.
"What is the true Augustus doing that is so important that he would completely ignore everything?"
"What else?" Helena's voice replied. "He is blazing a trail. A path that has not been walked by anyone since ancient times."
"...Blazing a trail..." Zeke's voice trailed off as realization dawned on him. "The path toward becoming a Monarch?"
Zeke felt the guardian nod against his shoulder. "That very path. And if he is attempting something of this magnitude in earnest, it means he has some confidence."
"Then why start a war at all?" Zeke asked. "If Augustus is about to ascend, why risk upsetting the balance and uniting everyone against him?"
"Who can say?" the guardian replied casually. "Perhaps not even the one planning the war knows the true reason behind it. We, all of us, were created for a specific purpose, and we only know as much as is necessary to fulfill it."
"Aren't you worried I might use this information to harm your main consciousness?"
He felt the guardian shrug against his back. "If this were something I was not meant to share, then I would not know it. Besides... Who is to say that we will remain enemies forever?"
Her voice softened. "Mark my words, little deviant. The day you become an Exarch, you too will be forced to make a choice. The same choice I once had to make..."
Her voice faded to a whisper. "If you truly reach that realm, I will be very curious to see whose side you're going to stand on. Truly... very... curious..."
The last words were barely audible. After the guardian spoke, Zeke felt Helena's body slump against his back, lifeless.
She was dead.
At that very moment, the pressure binding him vanished, along with the space-locking array.
There was a moment of silence. A single instant in which neither Zeke nor the world moved. Then everything erupted at once.
The ceiling was torn apart, revealing a massive hand that split the earth. Rhea had arrived.
At the same time, the shadows in the room stretched unnaturally, like fingers reaching toward him. David had come as well.
Simultaneously, a familiar voice echoed in his mind. "What happened, Host?"
Even the dragon, dormant deep within his mind, began to stir for the first time in what felt like an eternity. How much it had heard of the exchange, Zeke could not tell, but its timing was ominous.
Zeke did not answer. Instead, he drew in a long, steady breath. The air left his lungs in a shudder. His knees trembled, and his legs felt like lead.
Despite the guardian's strangely cordial demeanor, Zeke had not relaxed his guard for even a moment. From the instant the entity appeared until Helena's death, he had fought with the same intensity as if he were facing Augustus himself.
It had been one of the most exhausting experiences of his life.
"...I survived."
Zeke balled his hands into fists to keep them from shaking. He had told Helena that only by pushing himself to his limits could he achieve the fastest growth. But even he had to admit that this time, he had gone too far.
If possible, he would choose to grow just a little less next time.