The dreadful desert lay at the southern edge of the Voiceless Region, between Fine Grove and Purple Dune.

Both lands shared a mysterious crater shaped like a giant sword's mark, evidence of a devastating strike that had obliterated dozens of people and the very earth beneath them.

Countless warriors clashed with each other, each side driven by sheer determination to avenge their fallen brethren. Swords clashed, blood splattered, and skulls scattered, yet they fought with everything in them.

This was the Black War—a malice unleashed overnight by unknown forces. While thousands fought for survival, others schemed from the sidelines. The chaos created opportunity. Both lands were ripe for the taking.

***

Halo woke to find a familiar sight: the black-and-gold striped mask hovering above him. Silver hair draped over her shoulders, white eyes gleaming through the mask's eyeholes, and she still wore the black shirt he'd given her.

"You should have slept a little longer. I was thinking about kissing you."

Halo frowned and rose from his bed.

"I wasn't expecting you, Saint."

He yawned.

Dark Saint leaped onto the bed.

"Iris told me what happened to you. It must be hard having her around, huh?"

Halo shrugged his shoulders.

Despite nearly being tortured to death, he still couldn't hate Iris. He never really trusted her to begin with, but the little trust he had in her was gone. That was all there was to it.

He exhaled.

"Let me guess. You're the one orchestrating the Black War."

He began working out through the faint pains in his limbs. The torture did a number on him.

"Do you think I am that much of a monster?"

Halo ignored her words.

"How did you get the lands to fight each other anyway?"

He'd been receiving countless Sin Fragments ever since he regained consciousness after the torture. Honestly, if he hadn't been receiving them, he would have believed she was somehow involved anyway.

Halo felt the disappointment in Saint.

"I can't die anymore, so there's no reason to hold back. I told you already, I'm building an empire for you. You don't have to lead it. You don't even have to want it. Whatever becomes mine will always belong to you. You are my master, after all."

Halo heard her alright, but his attention was toward his body, it was healing faster than he imagined. He had to credit Iris for her hard work later.

"I didn't start the war. Actually, no one knows who started it."

Halo gave her a lazy look.

"How did you get involved then?"

She adjusted herself on the bed.

"It struck at night, though both lands insist the darkness they saw wasn't natural. It was fast, violent, and silent. By morning, nothing remained but a massive hole. Every soul at the point of impact had simply… disappeared."

Her eyes narrowed.

"At first, they assumed the victims had tumbled into a hole. Yet when some used their abilities to probe it, the pit measured nearly twenty feet, and still… nothing. No remains, no sign of life, not even shadows of the fallen."

Her white eyes glowed brighter.

"Both lands caught a whiff and immediately turned on each other. As the one and only Dark Saint, I struck a bargain, picking the side that served my interests best."

Halo furrowed his brow.

Though he'd heard tales about the gods descending to visit their favorite servants in the Ashen Ages, he'd heard nothing about them fighting or revealing themselves in the Voiceless Region at all. This had to be someone's doing. Someone very powerful.

If it wasn't connected to Jihriel's rebellion, he didn't care. He had his own priorities.

He reluctantly took his seat on the bed.

"What have you learned about Jihriel? That's why you came, right?"

Saint stared at him for a few seconds to come.

"Are you certain Jihriel will rebel against the gods?"

Halo remained silent for a moment.

The discrepancies had been bothering him for some time. Things in this world didn't match the game.

Initially, he'd assumed he simply hadn't played Damnation of the Gods enough to know all the details. But the changes were too significant to ignore.

There was Liam's resemblance to Jihriel and the shared surname, Asterion. Then there was the timeline. After a full year, Jihriel should be gathering followers, building support among humanity. But Halo had seen nothing. No rebellion, no movement.

"Where he is now, he can't hope to rebel against the gods for a long time. Still in the ancient giants' lands, he'll need months just to cross the seven seas to the Ashen Ages. By the time he lands, he'll be years behind schedule."

She shrugged her shoulders.

"At least he has a cohort. It's called NeverLight."

Halo frowned.

Everything matched. Jihriel wore the red earring and exhibited the same overconfidence from the game.

Even if the rebellion wasn't happening this year, dismissing him would be a mistake Halo couldn't afford. He needed to stay vigilant. At minimum, he had to join Jihriel's cohort.

But then again, something that wasn't in the game…

"What are the seven seas?"

Saint frowned.

"It wasn't in the game?"

"…"

She let out an annoyed sound.

"The Seven Seas separate Voiceless from the Ashen Ages. I haven't personally crossed them, but the stories say it's risky. There are Sinners in the waters, among other threats."

It made sense. That would explain why leaving the Voiceless Region was nearly impossible. But in the game, there'd been only one sea. He'd never even managed to explore it.

If this were true, Jihriel would need every capable fighter he could get to sail the seas without massive losses. This was Halo's chance.

"About the NeverLight, what must I do to join?"

Saint patted him on the shoulder, consoling him.

"Sorry, buddy, but there's nothing you can do. No inquiries are available unless Jihriel chooses you himself or a member puts in a recommendation."

Halo gave her a lazy look.

"You're the Dark Saint! You were classmates at the academy, and you're well-known around here. Why on earth wouldn't he listen to you?"

She snarled.

"I told you, I can't stand him. He leads an army and hasn't even used his ability a single time. Still, everyone treats him like a god."

She huffed.

"I just can't figure him out."

She added.

"Finish your Purpose, then seek him out and challenge one of them to a duel or something. That will be enough. But right now? Even his butler would put you on your knees."

Halo rested his chin on his hand. That wasn't bad. Not at all. But he can't last a second in his current condition.

He got to his feet.

Before he could leave, Saint stopped him.

"There's something else you must know."

Halo's expression darkened.

"Several people have already rebelled against the gods. Jihriel won't be the first, and he's certainly not likely to be the last."

"Huh?"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.