Zeke was rushed back to the ship under the escort of both Rhea and David. Along the way, he caught glimpses of what had become of the city.
Homes had been reduced to rubble, and storehouses had burned to ash. Likely, even the handful of workers he had spared earlier had been crushed beneath falling debris. It was a painful thought, but one he would have to grow accustomed to.
The truth was that even if he tried to prevent civilian deaths as much as possible, he would never be able to eliminate them entirely. Not unless he was willing to compromise the safety of his own people. And that had always been non-negotiable for Zeke.
That left him with only one option. He would have to harden his heart and bear the consequences of his choices, no matter how gruesome they became.
It took the trio less than a minute to reach the Alexandria, which had moved closer to their current location. At this point, they were the only three combatants who had not yet been evacuated.
Zeke saw the open hatch approaching from his perch on Rhea's outstretched palm. It took the Titan only a few steps to close the distance. With a light flick of her hand, her two tiny passengers were sent sailing through the air toward the opening.
At the sound of an ear-shattering impact, Zeke turned his head, still midair.
The sight that greeted him was staggering. Just after launching them, Rhea had taken a massive leap, flattening several ruined buildings beneath her feet. Yet instead of rising into the air, she remained level as her body rapidly shrank to compensate.
Zeke continued to watch the spectacle even as his feet touched down.
Rhea was rushing toward them. At first, she still towered like a city wall, but as she approached, her size diminished to that of a large house, then a carriage, and finally to that of a slightly taller woman.
She landed beside Zeke, and he felt the metal beneath him groan under the strain. For a moment, the entire ship seemed to dip, but only briefly. The array corrected the buoyancy almost instantly, keeping the fortress airborne.
Meanwhile, Rhea tossed her long, braided hair over her shoulder and straightened. She winked at Zeke as she strode past him.
Zeke's gaze followed her for a moment before returning to the ruined city below. Much of that destruction was likely her doing. And yet, she looked no different than if she had just returned from a casual stroll.
What a terrifying woman. What a terrifying race.
But that realization only brought him back to the question that had been lingering since his conversation with the guardian. Technically, he too belonged to a race no less impressive than the Titans.
Or was it as the guardian had claimed, that he was nothing more than a corrupted human? Not a true dragon, yet no longer suited to walk the path of a human?
Though he knew that the guardian was not the real Augustus, the knowledge of a soul fragment of the Mind Exarch could not be dismissed lightly. It could have been a ploy to undermine his confidence, but even so, Zeke knew he could not rest easy until he had certainty.
David watched him with concern. He had likely heard about what happened from Akasha, but since even she knew little, he was not fully aware of what Zeke had faced. Otherwise, his worry would have been far greater.
As it was, he seemed mostly reassured once he saw that Zeke was uninjured.
Zeke gave him a nod and made his way toward the interior of the ship. The moment he did, he felt a strange sensation.
For an instant, it felt as though a foreign mind was pressing against his own, and alarmingly, he found himself unable to mount even the slightest defense. Then he relaxed. The presence was familiar. Akasha had withdrawn from her [Blood Manifestation] and returned to him.
He felt her access his memories the moment she settled in.
Zeke did not resist. He had never intended to hide anything from Akasha. Regardless of whether the guardian's words held any truth, his trust in her had not wavered in the slightest.
Unexpectedly, even after reviewing everything, the spirit remained silent. She did not defend herself, did not refute the guardian, did not even comment.
It was unusual behavior for her, but Zeke didn't press her.
He moved through the ship, greeting those he passed. Most looked at him with bright eyes and smiles. Their first offensive within the inner region had gone exceptionally well. Thanks to Akasha's leadership and his own presence on the battlefield, it had been an overwhelming victory.
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On top of that, he had personally fought the commander and ultimately killed her. There had likely been utter chaos in the enemy's ranks during that time.
Finally, Zeke reached his destination. He pushed open the door to his private study and instructed Zelkara not to allow anyone inside, no matter the reason.
The moment the door shut behind him, his pleasant facade fell away. His face turned to one of utter exhaustion, and his proud posture slumped.
Zeke did not even bother walking to his desk. He sank down where he stood, his back sliding along the wooden door until he reached the floor.
Though he bore no physical injuries, his mental exhaustion rivaled that of the most grueling battles of his life. The world spun as if he were drunk, and his thoughts felt sluggish, like thick liquid dragging through his mind.
Zeke took a few quick, shallow breaths, scanning his body for any hidden issues. Finding none, he did the one thing he had been craving since his return. He entered his mental realm, the space he called his Mind's Library.
His form within this space was identical to his physical one, just as he imagined himself. His red hair stood out sharply against the completely white surroundings. From the floor to the endless horizon, even the sky above, everything was a blank, featureless expanse.
Like a world that had yet to be filled.
It had been this way ever since Akasha made his mental realm her home. Zeke had once preferred a physical manifestation of his knowledge, a true library, but Akasha had no need for such a structure. It only slowed her down.
The result was the empty expanse before him.
A void with a single inhabitant.
Akasha stood within it, her back turned to him as she gazed into the endless nothingness she had shaped.
Zeke stopped a few steps behind her, watching her motionless figure. She did not speak, nor did she turn.
Zeke said nothing either. Instead, he lifted his gaze to the sky.
"I know you are awake, Khai'Zar. Please, come and join us."
At first, there was no response. Then the sky shifted. For a brief moment, the white turned to black before returning to its pristine state. Yet where there had been nothing before, a colossal form now hovered overhead.
Khai'Zar's true body was massive, rivaling the size of the Alexandria, his wings spanning several hundred steps.
His real form was far more menacing than the miniature version Zeke had summoned through his [Blood Manifestation]. But it lasted only an instant. The vast silhouette vanished in the blink of an eye, and Khai'Zar stood before him, no longer a dragon, but in the humanoid form Zeke had seen before.
Two curved horns framed a full head of crimson hair. He stood taller than an ordinary man, similar to Rhea in her human form, yet not so imposing as to seem entirely inhuman. The lines of his face were regal, and his golden eyes gleamed with intelligence as he looked directly at Zeke.
"It has been a while, whelp," Khai'Zar said in the same voice Zeke had so often heard in his mind.
"It has indeed, friend," Zeke replied.
Then he turned to Akasha, who still had not moved.
"Akasha," Zeke called. Once again, there was no response.
"...You do not have to have the answers," Zeke continued, undeterred.
That caused a slight stir in the Spirit.
"I did not come here to interrogate you. Either of you," he added, nodding toward Khai'Zar. "Whatever I am, whatever I have become, is the result of my own choices. There is no blame, only a need to find a path forward."
At last, Akasha turned. Her face remained as blank as ever, but Zeke knew her well enough to sense the worry beneath. It was only natural. He had given her absolute trust and freedom. To now hear that she might have corrupted his mind in return wasn't easy to accept.
Their eyes met.
"Will you help me find that path?" he asked, his tone unchanged.
The Spirit nodded silently, leaving the space in a heavy, lingering silence.
"The mood seems quite somber," Khai'Zar remarked, raising a brow. "What has happened?"
"You really don't know?" Zeke asked. "I felt you stir awake."
"I woke in response to your mind collapsing," Khai'Zar replied casually. "If it had, I would have taken over your body before it died. Do not worry. I would have made sure your killer joined you in death."
Zeke smiled crookedly. The promise was both unwelcome and oddly reassuring. Though he doubted the dragon could have followed through this time.
"...Could you really kill Augustus Geistreich?" Zeke asked directly. "I heard he is preparing to break through to Monarch."
Khai'Zar snorted. "Is that supposed to scare me? Do you know how many humans have tried to ascend since the fall of the ancient rulers? The number must be in the millions, and yet none have achieved what the ancient gods once did."
Zeke was immediately intrigued by the Dragon's certainty. "Augustus seems confident."
"What does his confidence matter?" Khai'Zar replied, his tone making clear exactly what he thought of Augustus's chances. "Monarch is not just another realm, you clueless brat. It is the end of the road in every sense of the word."
"What do you mean?"
"A Monarch is no longer a mage," Khai'Zar said, his voice turning serious. "They are the embodiment of their affinity, the very concept itself. They are Time. They are Space. They are Life and Death."
"If Augustus truly becomes the Monarch of Mind, then there will be no fight. A single thought would be enough, and we would all be dead. There would be no limit to his power, no escape. Every living being capable of thought would fall completely under his control. Their life and death would rest in his hands."
Khai'Zar looked down at Zeke with clear disdain. "Now tell me, whelp, how difficult do you think it is to reach such a state?"
"So you are saying there is no chance?" Zeke asked directly.
"I am saying there is no point in worrying," Khai'Zar replied. "If he somehow reaches that level, then you have already lost. And if he does not, then he will remain an Exarch for the rest of his life, one who wasted his time on a meaningless pursuit."
As disheartening as those words were, Zeke felt a sense of relief upon hearing them. Smartest man or not, even Augustus would find it nearly impossible to reach such heights. And even if he did, it could take centuries, perhaps even millennia.
In other words, more than enough time for Zeke to catch up.
But that brought him back to his own predicament. The possibility that he himself might be unable to advance further.
"The reason I have called both of you here is that I recently learned that I might have become corrupted in some way. To the point where it may be impossible for me to progress much further as a mage."
His gaze shifted from Khai'Zar to Akasha. "So... I think it is time to clear the air between us," he said, then looked back at the dragon. "Once and for all."