Chapter 41: The True Mastermind!

The atmosphere in the Ninefold Dominion Council Room was thick with tension, the kind that

felt like a storm waiting to break. The massive, dimly lit chamber was lined

with dark energy conduits, casting pulsing

shadows along the walls. The room felt hollow, empty without the

presence of the other council members—only Professor Z, Selara

Nox, and Ivara Lys remained.

Professor Z stood by

the vast, reinforced window, gazing out at the Forsaken

Z Island's ominous landscape. The sky churned with dark,

violet-tinged clouds, and the energy storms in the distance painted streaks

of destruction against

the horizon. His hands were clasped behind his back, his reflection on the

glass distorted by the flickering energy outside.

"Selara… Ivara…" his voice was calm but

carried an edge that demanded attention. "I'm going to tell you something… something that may

change everything you think you know."

Selara Nox, The

Mistress of Whispers, tilted her head slightly. Her eyes, always sharp

and calculating, narrowed with suspicion. "What is it, Professor?"

He didn't turn to

face them. Instead, his voice dropped into a cold, deliberate whisper.

"Lord Z… and I… are the same person."

The words hung

heavy in the air, like a death sentence.

Ivara Lys stiffened,

her usual air of composed illusion slipping for just a second. Selara's lips

parted in shock, but she quickly recovered, her mind already spinning

with the implications.

"What?" Selara's voice was quiet but laced

with disbelief. "You're telling

us… you've been playing both sides all along? You—"

"Yes," Professor Z

cut her off, finally turning to face them. His eyes,

cold and calculating, burned with dangerous intensity. "I built Segrito… and I built the rebellion

against it. I created the chaos to shape the order I desired. The Ninefold Dominion?

It was never about shared power. It was always about me."

The room grew

colder, the energy conduits flaring briefly, reacting to his

emotions.

Selara's mind

raced. "Why tell us this? Why now?"

"Because the others are gone," Professor

Z said, his tone deadly calm. "Voryn, Oris, Malik… even

Kaelis, Draven, and Zareth. I had no use for them anymore. They were tools—blunt

instruments, and when tools outlive their purpose, they are disposed

of. I allowed their deaths… and where necessary, I orchestrated them.

All without ever getting my own hands dirty."

Ivara's voice was

barely above a whisper. "You… you had

them killed?"

He stepped

closer, his presence overwhelming and suffocating. "Those fools would have opposed me. They lacked

vision—they lacked loyalty. But you two? You're different. You know when to follow strength… and you know what happens when you stand against

it."

Selara swallowed,

her throat dry. "And if we choose not to

support you?"

Professor Z's smile

was cold and cruel. "Then you'll

join them. I won't even have to lift a finger. The pieces are already in place.

But if you stand with me… you'll survive. And you'll have power beyond anything

you've ever imagined."

The room fell into heavy

silence. The weight of the choice was as

clear as the threat hanging over their heads.

Ivara's eyes

darted to Selara, searching for some silent agreement. They both knew

the truth: Professor Z was leagues beyond them in power and

cunning. To defy him was certain death.

Finally, Selara

nodded, her voice steady but her heart racing. "We're with you."

Ivara followed a

moment later. "We'll stand by your side."

Professor Z's smile

widened; his satisfaction clear. "Good."

He turned back

toward the window, watching the storm rage across the island. "We've wasted too much time on this broken council

and their petty ambitions. Now, with them gone, the real work begins."

His voice

hardened, his vision of destruction taking shape. "Segrito will fall… and from its ashes, I will create something far greater. And with your help, we will

reshape the world itself."

The storm outside intensified, mirroring the dark

future they had just sealed.

The night sky over Forsaken Z Island was illuminated by crackling

waves of unstable energy, the air vibrating with tension. The massive

Segrito base stood like a fortress against the storm, but inside, chaos

had already begun.

Professor Z raised his left

arm, the mechanical limb humming with dark power as tendrils of Dark Ripple Energy coiled around it.

His eyes gleamed with a cold, focused intensity. Without a word,

he extended his fingers—and shadows burst forth, taking shape as perfectly-formed

energy clones of the

three remaining council members: himself, Selara Nox, and Ivara Lys.

The clones dispersed immediately, moving with

inhuman speed through the corridors of the base. As they spread, powerful

surges of energy shot through the system, hitting key

points of infrastructure. The air grew thick

with static, and the lights flickered ominously.

"Initiate

dispersal," Professor Z commanded in a voice that was calm

but laced with finality.

The clones plunged their hands into energy conduits,

sending dark ripples cascading through the network. Sparks

erupted from control

panels and security nodes as power surged uncontrollably. Monitors

exploded, and alarms blared, only to be cut

off mid-scream as the

system short-circuited entirely.

In the command hub, screens went dark, and the entire

server network crashed down in

a single wave of digital silence. The gates

slammed shut, and communications were severed, leaving the

soldiers cut off and blind.

The helipad lights ignited, casting a stark

glow on the stealth black chopper waiting there.

Professor Z turned to Selara and Ivara.

"It's

time."

They boarded swiftly, the blades

of the chopper slicing through the air as it powered up. Within seconds, they

were airborne, leaving the dying island behind.

Below them, the base was in

full panic. Soldiers and engineers rushed toward the energy

core, desperate to stabilize the imbalance flooding the system.

But they were too

late.

A single, shuddering pulse of dark energy burst forth, and the

island's energy core imploded.

The explosion ripped through the entire base,

sending a massive shockwave of dark energy pulses shooting across the ocean. Tidal

waves formed, crashing violently against distant shores. The air

itself seemed to howl in agony as the Segrito

stronghold was obliterated, its power and influence reduced

to nothing but ash and echoes.

From the chopper, the three watched the destruction

unfold, the night sky painted in furious streaks of black and

purple energy.

Ivara broke the silence first. "Professor Z… what about the assassins stationed

across the Nine Nations? Won't they retaliate?"

Professor Z's voice was cold

and resolute, his transformation complete. "Correction." He turned his piercing

gaze toward them, his presence almost suffocating. "There is no more Professor Z. From this moment

forward… you will refer to me only as Lord Z."

Selara bowed her head immediately. "Yes, my Lord."

Ivara followed suit, her voice steady despite

the storm of fear and loyalty within her. "Yes, Lord Z."

The chopper banked south, heading toward the shimmering

lights of Neo-Kyoto, but their destination lay far

beyond it—in the shadows of the world's map, where their new

stronghold awaited.