All fair negotiations must be based on equal strength

The moment Maxen appeared behind Thor, the Guardian Shadows fell silent. 

These top-tier entities were well-versed in the origins of the [Guardian Shadow], a concept initially proposed by Nathan. Nathan had not had the chance to bring it to fruition before he headed off to fight in the Supreme Abyssal. 

The real founders of this organization were Morpheus and Shadow Nine—Maxen's godfather and his father's talent, Shadow Nine. 

In a sense, Maxen was the rightful heir to [Guardian Shadow], though the fact that Shadow Nine left the Shadow Sigil to Thor signified a designated change.

From Amari and Terraon, Mike had learned that [Guardian Shadow] comprised two types of members: those like them, soldiers who died on the battlefield, and those strong in the Shadow element. 

Now, it seemed that "strong" might deserve quotation marks—at least none of these top four before Mike were from the human race.