In certain early morning streets of Japan, an unseen slaughter took place. Several dozen Kitsune cast a system of mass hypnosis over the population. These Kitsune were led by the Sixth Seat Veydris. The kitsune didn't have the greatest fighting power. Still, they were best suited to deal with the Theronites in this area, especially during this time of day.

"How are things proceeding?" Veydris asked as she sat on a lamppost in a residential area, her tails swaying behind her.

"We have dealt with most of the threats. Just cleanup remains," a Kitsune who floated playfully upside down next to Veydris reported.

"Cleanup... right," Veydris commented as she looked down at the street in front of her. Blood splatter was everywhere, but the humans walking past were unaware of it or of their presence.

"What a bother. He better make this worth my time." Veydris sighed as she pulled out a device and threw it on the ground. A portal opened up, and several creatures hopped out and began to thoroughly clean the area.

In a seaside town in Scotland, the residents were all holed up in their homes as a freak storm came out of nowhere. There were reports of faint screams and eerie singing being heard. Some who were brave enough to go outside during the sudden storm reported seeing several humanoid figures standing in the sea. In the following weeks, most in the town would chalk it up to kids mucking about, pretending to be storm kelpies.

In the streets of London, the howling of wolves echoed. Lun sat in the moonlight on the rooftop of one of the London homes and sighed.

"I know it's been a while since you guys got to stretch your legs, but try to keep it down a bit."

"Sorry, it's just so exciting to be able to rip into these bastards," a werewolf said. A dead Theronite was gripped in his claws as he gently landed on the roof, assisted by the wind.

"Wrap things up, and try to keep the blood splatter to a minimum."

"Of course." The werewolf vanished with a gust of wind. A splash of blood landed on Lun's face.

"That's keeping splatter to a minimum? I'll have to retrain them when we get back." Lun groaned as he vanished in a gust of wind himself.

Similar scenes happened around the world, where the Tiny Tots' relatives and loved ones lived. Cefketa stood in front of the dying Aron as he received reports from the Seats in real-time after they had dealt with the threats. Aron sat there in silence with a weakening smile on his face. He had come to terms with the fact that this part of his plan was a fool's errand.

"I suppose it will be just you and me dragged into the pits of despair," Aron commented.

"What are you talking about now?" Cefketa asked. He was in a rather good mood at the moment.

"You sent them to protect those kids, but what about your mother?" Aron started to laugh.

"If you sent Theronites after my mother, then you're more of a fool than I thought," Cefketa responded.

"Why would they agree to such a suicidal command?" Seren was the one to interject.

"It's not suicidal when you know how to kill a dragon, and when more than half the work has been done already." Aron started to laugh and cough up blood as he tried to sit up to look at Cefketa's face.

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh come on... You know how to kill your kind, right?" Aron grunted and looked over at Mythara, who seemed to be visibly uncomfortable.

"You destroy their heart, and then bring them to exhaustion," Aron proclaimed for everyone to hear. Cefketa and Mythara both narrowed their eyes at Aron. How the hell did this idiot get hold of this kind of information? But both of them calmed down. From what they had witnessed from Cefketa, forget destroying her heart—would they even be able to wound her?

"You think anyone on this planet can achieve that?" Cefketa asked.

"They won't need to. Your mother is a literal heartless monster. Her heart was destroyed long before she came to this planet. And giving birth to and protecting you used up a substantial amount of energy." Aron started to laugh.

Cefketa's heart dropped. It never crossed his mind that his mother had no heart all this time, but it made sense. Mythara looked at Cefketa with concern. Nina did appear to be sickly, but Mythara never thought it would be because she was missing her heart and was constantly on the verge of death. Cefketa didn't say anything; he just stood there in silence.

"Sensei, you should go now!" Sage shouted.

"I've been trying, but I can't teleport," Cefketa answered.

"What do you mean?" Mythara asked.

"Something isn't allowing me to leave!" Cefketa shouted. Before Cefketa could say anything else, Mythara teleported away. Whatever was locking Cefketa there could not, or would not, do the same to Mythara.

In an instant, Mythara was across the world, standing in a familiar flower shop. Mythara saw Nina—she looked a little more tired than usual, but she was cleaning things up before closing time. She popped her head over the counter and then smiled at Mythara, saying,

"Good, you're here. Help me clean up before I close things up here."

"There's no time for that, there are—"

"Theronites are coming to kill me. Yes, yes... I've already taken care of the first two waves. The third will be here shortly, and it will be the biggest yet." Nina laughed.

"Then let me get you out of here," Mythara said.

Nina gave Mythara a look, and Mythara closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He walked towards her and asked,

"What do you need me to do?"

"Tidy up that corner over there, and move those larger plants to the back." Nina smiled.

"Right..." Mythara quietly started to work on the tasks that were given to him by Nina, and then asked,

"Are you the reason that Cefketa can't teleport here?"

"Of course," Nina responded.

"Why?"

"Because he would let what needs to happen, happen."

"And you think I will?" Mythara frowned.

"Well, it's easier to say no to you, dear. I wouldn't have the heart to deny him." Nina smiled as she began to wipe the counter.

"How much time do you have left?" Mythara asked.

"Fifteen minutes," Nina smiled.

"What?! Just fifteen? Why didn't you say something when we were here before? There's no way Cefketa would have gone on this crusade if he knew you barely had a month left to live," Mythara chided Nina.

"What? Oh no, dear, you misunderstood—they'll be here in about fifteen minutes. As for my remaining lifespan..."

Nina paused, considering her words carefully. "If I conserve my energy properly, even after dealing with the Theronites that are coming, I should have at least a hundred years left. Though for someone like me, that's barely any time at all, so I might as well—"

"A hundred years is a lifetime," Mythara whimpered.

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"For humans. For dragons... It's barely a blink," Nina sighed.

"But Cefketa would rather have you for that blink than not," Mythara argued.

"You're right... But this is for the best. As I am, I'll be a hindrance for both of you moving forward. I'd rather not be here than get in your way." Nina rested her hands on the counter, staring down at its surface.

"What if Dr. Shaila and the child were alive?" Mythara asked.

"I would have done everything to make sure I was there to see its first shedding." Nina looked up at Mythara and smiled. She walked around the counter and then tapped Mythara on the side of the face and continued,

"That is the one regret I have with my decision—I won't get to see yours. I'm sure it'll be magnificent." Nina smiled.

"You missed Cefketa's as well."

"No, I didn't. I can see almost everything on this planet without much trouble, even as I am. It's small." Nina chuckled as she walked back to the counter.

"W-what happened to you before you came here?"

"That's a question you're not ready to know the answer to. And once you are ready to know, there won't be a question you can't answer yourself." Nina's smile faded as she looked over towards a corner of the room. Not long after, Mythara's head turned in the same direction.

"They'll be here soon. Are you sure there's nothing I can do to make you change your mind?" Mythara groaned.

"Yes... This is what's best for everyone."

"How can you say that? You know Cefketa will have nothing left after this. I wouldn't be surprised if he'd want to destroy this entire world," Mythara said.

He knew that if he were in Cefketa's shoes, he might do the same. His world was turned upside down, his wife and child murdered in front of him. Then, nearly everyone he thought was his friend not only turned their back on him but banded together to hunt him. Then his mom dies.

"Fuck..." Mythara exclaimed.

"You are correct. It will be a miracle if he doesn't decide to destroy this world, and I say good riddance. It's a small, disgusting, backward speck of dust filled with parasitic little mud monkeys." Nina chuckled and then looked at Mythara, who said,

"But it's my speck of dust, and these are my mud monkeys." Mythara frowned.

"Exactly. So if you wish to see it flourish, stop him. Or don't, and let it be destroyed. I'm too old to be getting in the middle of two hatchlings roughhousing." Nina laughed.

"Roughhousing? A world is at stake."

"Yes, rather tame roughhousing at that. You two seem to be rather well-behaved. I have seen galaxies destroyed for less." Nina smiled as though reminiscing on old times.

"It's time for you to go. Thank you for helping me close one last time. I always found it rather comforting."

Mythara studied Nina's serene expression, his mind racing through desperate alternatives. Every instinct screamed against accepting her decision, against letting her march willingly toward death. He knew he couldn't match her power—not even close—but she would never harm him. That gave him one chance. If he could grab her and teleport away before she could react, maybe he could get her to Cefketa. Together they could convince her that there had to be another way.

He couldn't fathom what ancient wisdom or terrible knowledge drove her to this choice, what cosmic perspective made her see sacrifice as salvation. But he didn't need to understand it—he just needed to stop it.

The Clockwork Paradox system appeared behind his back, and everything slowed to a crawl. He shot forward like a bullet as he reached out to touch Nina, who had her momentum frozen. However, Nina's head turned to face Mythara as she grabbed his wrist. Her pupils turned into draconic slits, and those purple eyes shone with rose-gold flecks.

"That's quite the system you created. I would have liked to see its completion," Nina smiled.

"Please..." Mythara begged.

"Tell Keta that this isn't an ending for him. This is barely a prelude. Life has much grander things in store for him." Nina smiled at Mythara.

"Please don't," Mythara begged once again.

"I would tell you the same. Only with this dying body of mine gone can the two of you start walking towards your purpose. So let this body die, so you two can fly unbound. It's a cheap price to pay. Though it is a shame—I came to like this little shop." At Nina's words, Mythara felt his body begin to be pulled as his system was destroyed. In the next instant, Mythara found himself outside the city. He instantly tried to teleport back, but he couldn't teleport. He tried to run forward instead, but was blocked by an invisible wall of force he couldn't comprehend.

"God dammit!" Mythara began to beat on the wall, hoping to find flaws like he had done with Selistar, but there were no flaws to be exploited

"Fuck, fuck..." Mythara cursed, and then he looked towards the city to see two ebony wings unfurl into the skyline. Those wings then curled, and Mythara felt the ground shake. After the shaking had ended, the barrier that contained him ended.

"FUCK!" He quickly teleported back to the shop.

There was no shop to speak of anymore. The entire portion of the city that was engulfed by those massive wings of hers ceased to exist. The buildings were gone, the ground was bizarrely flattened, and the people who were walking the streets were nowhere to be seen. Even in the parts of the city that weren't destroyed, the streets were empty. Only the falling of black feathers could be seen.

Mythara's heart dropped when he looked in the center of everything and saw Cefketa. He had de-dragonified himself and was standing there in silence. Cefketa turned his head to look at Mythara, and before Mythara could say anything, Cefketa asked,

"What did she say?"

Mythara floated towards Cefketa as he relayed her words to him and then asked,

"What happened to Aron?"

"There's nothing left to bury," Cefketa responded.

"Seren?" Mythara continued.

"What about her? She upheld her end of our agreement. I just... fucked up." Cefketa scoffed.

"You didn't..." Mythara went on to explain everything Nina had told him. Cefketa started to chuckle.

"I see. She had this planned for a long time." Cefketa looked into the sky and then sighed.

"What are you going to do now?" Mythara asked hesitantly.

"I don't think a child of mine can be happy in this world."

"Zac..." Mythara muttered. Cefketa and Mythara locked eyes. Mythara could see no light or hope in Cefketa's eyes. Before Mythara could get to another word, several portals opened up around them. Out of those portals, the 8 Seats appeared. More portals appeared, and out of them the Veridahn, the Twins, and the Tiny Tots emerged. Roratha the Bone Collector and a force of Theronite also arrived. Selistar also appeared there to see things with his own eyes.

Even from halfway across the world, they all felt the immense power released by Nina. Roratha was surprised—the dread she felt from that outburst could have devastated the world, but it was contained to just a handful of city blocks. They all came planning to see the worst, but it all seemed rather tame. The air was heavy with anticipation; everyone's eyes were on Cefketa, but he only paid attention to Mythara.

"I'm going to destroy it all." What Mythara had feared came true.

"Zac, I don't..."

"I'm not going to completely destroy it. Just the humans on it."

"Zac!" Mythara's voice cracked with desperation as he tried to reach whatever humanity remained in him. The assembled crowd fell into tense silence—even the wind seemed to hold its breath. The Tiny Tots exchanged glances, their faces a mixture of horror, understanding, and conflicted loyalty as they watched their mentor teeter on the edge of genocide.

"You and the Tiny Tots should gather your families and move to Firmatha Sanguar." Cefketa didn't stop to hear anyone's opinions.

"You can't just extinguish human life," Mythara argued.

"Yes, I can. It'll be easy." Cefketa smiled as he began to float into the air.

"I'm generous. I'll give them what they never gave me... a choice."

"What choice?" Mythara asked, already knowing the answer.

"Either embrace the new world or die with the old." Cefketa started to chuckle.

"Are you all content to follow his lead?" Mythara looked over at the 8 Seats.

The 2nd Seat Vaerros, the Gorvath war chief, began to chuckle. The mighty Titan raised his large battle axe into the sky and said,

"If it means a bloody battle after so many centuries, I am more than happy."

"I'm afraid these humans have been responsible for ending the life of two Gteju. One could be seen as a tragic mistake, one that was settled with the death of that fool, but two? Even if we wanted to help you, we could not." The Elven 4th Seat, Sylvaira, spoke through a pained expression.

"But it's the same fool who caused the death of both, and—" Mythara tried to reason with them.

"Then they should have dealt with him sooner." The 3rd Seat Nethyros, the matriarch of the Vaelthora (Leviathan) race, spoke.

"You can't expect us to control the actions of others!" The Conductor found the strength to speak out against this foolishness.

"Human individuality is both your greatest strength and weakness," the 8th Seat Varythiel, the Skinwalker Alpha, said.

"Every species in creation understands that their actions represent their entire race... except humans on this planet. Ignorance is not an excuse, especially after you have been given so many chances." 1st Seat Zyvaroth, the Vampire leader, spoke.

The Conductor wanted to say more, but couldn't bring himself to. They were right to a certain extent. He didn't fully understand the grandness of creation that they kept talking about. The station of Gteju superseded everything he had learned to be common sense until now.

"I understand what you are saying. I understand where you're coming from, but I won't let you do this," Mythara spoke with determination.

"You won't let us? This is the will that all of creation follows," 1st Seat Zyvaroth spoke again.

"This isn't all of creation. This is Earth. MY EARTH! I won't let you!" Mythara shouted, and all the Vaylora in the area began to swarm around him. Things had spun out of control for too long, and the more things went on, the more powerless he felt against it all. He couldn't stand it anymore.

"So you would reject the established laws to make Earth an exception? Do you understand what that means?" Sylvaira, the 4th Seat, asked.

"I understand laws only have authority if they can be enforced. I don't care what it means. This is MY world, and I will have it exist as I see fit! This is MY law!" Mythara frowned as his eyes began to glow with a rose-gold light. His pupils turned into draconic slits, and his tattoos began to shine brighter than they had ever before.

"Do you have the power to enforce it?" Cefketa asked.

"Overclock!" Mythara answered, and Cefketa smiled.

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