am i tripping?

Klaus grinned, already knowing that he was about to die.

Well... it was a good run, huh?

He had regrets—plenty of them—but he had also accomplished more than most could ever dream of. He had slaughtered tens of thousands of Abominations. He had brought down Transcendents and even a Supreme while still an Awakened. He had created life, forged an entirely new school of sorcery, built his own organization from the ground up, blackmailed a deity, shattered the chains of a god, destroyed the so-called Kingdom of Hope, deceived the world—twice—and saved it, too.

He had always done his best. That's what mattered in the end.

And so, he smiled at those memories—both bitter and brilliant. Klaus was never one to ignore his flaws, but he never overlooked his strengths either.

It had been a glorious journey, full of madness, wonder, and pain.

Ah... how magnificent it all was.

He let out a laugh—loud, full of life, defiant even now. A final burst of raw spirit echoing through the ruined land.

Amelia, watching him, couldn't help but chuckle softly in return. There was something admirable in him—this stubborn will, this refusal to die quietly. If only he had been stronger... he might have been a marvelous rival, a worthy adversary to test her strength.

Pity...

Then, without hesitation, she raised her hand—her obsidian claws gleaming with pale, deadly light under the broken sun.

"Time to end this... miracle born from the Smile of Heaven."

Klaus shrugged weakly, leaning back against nothing, his body trembling. Even that simple movement unleashed exquisite agony, a searing pain that made the world blur.

His body was dying.

The radiation had sunk deep—his cells were collapsing, organs beginning to fail. His immune system had withered, his eyes bled freely, and his once-sharp mind began to fragment into fog and static.

It hurt so much...

And with his heightened senses, the pain was amplified, unbearable, each second a crucible.

Still, Klaus wasn't the type to die silently. He had already laid the foundation around his cores... If he was going down, then he'd detonate them and blast this wretched place into fucking oblivion!

He grinned darkly, his bloodied teeth gleaming and his amethyst eyes glowing with an intense, mad light.

He would do it...

He would fucking do it!

He would destroy his cores and cause a devastating explosion that would swallow this entire land. A singularity born from his death—his final curse—would consume her with him.

Klaus laughed with deranged joy, his perception of time slowing down as he watched the claw descending toward his throat.

Meanwhile, within the depths of his spirit sea, a ritualistic diagram was already prepared—ready to sacrifice his cores, using them as fuel to drag her into the void along with him.

Huh...

He blinked in confusion.

Why am I falling...?

Oh?

Better question—why the hell am I in the sky?

He tried to move, to balance his body midair—but nothing happened.

Bloody hell! I can't even die with a bang? What the fuck!?

He thought bitterly—

—and then he was dropped.

Oh? Ground? Neat. Now, who the... Loki?

"Hmm… Am I tripping? Whatcha doing here?" he muttered weakly.

Loki snorted, shook his head, and spat on him.

Klaus stared at him blankly.

Nah... I ain't dead...

He sighed and summoned Devourer once again.

The amalgamation of darkness floated in front of him, reshaping itself into a beautiful white sword. Klaus bit his lip from the pain, then manipulated its gravity to make it hover.

Using Bia, he pierced his own chest.

Blood welled in his throat, spilling from his lips—but he gulped it down, not in the mood for theatrics.

Then he activated the enchantment.

[Second Slot: Leviathan]

Enchantment: Nourishing Flames – When fully charged by using souls as fuel, can heal any wound.

Gentle white flames enveloped his body.

They were warm, soft and comfortable.

His ruined flesh began to stitch itself back together. His mind cleared, his immune system surged, and his failing organs returned to life. He could feel the radioactive poison burning away—purged by the flame.

Klaus groaned, shifting slightly on the ground before forcing himself into a sitting position. Now that his mind was clear—no longer scrambled by the creeping radioactivity—he could sense Hemera inside his spirit sea.

...And she was a mess.

Her body was ruined. Torn apart. Barely holding together.

His gaze shifted sideways, locking onto Loki with quiet suspicion.

The Loathsome Bird stood there, completely unapologetic.

Of course he wasn't sorry.

Klaus didn't need an explanation.

It wasn't the first time Loki had taunted Hemera—he'd always found some twisted joy in testing her patience. But in those moments, Klaus had been there to stop it. He'd always stepped in before things escalated too far.

Not this time.

This time... he hadn't been there.

And as a result, Hemera had been beaten and broken.

Sigh... Should I...?

No. Kids should learn to resolve their conflicts on their own.

Klaus wasn't the type to step in and scold just one side. If there was a fight, either both got punished… or neither did.

Still... Hemera almost died.

Should I turn Loki into spaghetti?

...Nah. Let's just hope I don't forget to deal with this later.

Shaking his head, Klaus reshaped Devourer once again—transitioning it from Leviathan, the gleaming white sword, back into Satan—a crimson, sinister spear that pulsed faintly with hunger.

Amelia was genuinely surprised. Klaus had far more tricks up his sleeve than she expected. First, there was that skeleton—clearly a Transcendent. Then came the wraith… and now this smelly, bizarre bird.

Surprise after surprise.

Still, he's going to die here.

She grinned and took a step forward—only to suddenly pause.

It wasn't hesitation or mercy that stopped her.

It was the river.

With a deafening boom, the entire river erupted outward, exploding like a ruptured artery.

Amelia shielded her eyes from the violent spray and immediately spread her wings, ascending into the sky to avoid the flood that washed over the shattered base.

Meanwhile, Klaus was lying on Loki's back. The bird was clearly confused by these sudden developments, but Klaus wasn't nearly as surprised. He let out a sigh of relief and laughed, resting on Loki's back like it was just another chaotic day.

Because at that moment, from the depths of the river, a massive creature emerged.

The Kraken.

A gargantuan monster whose colossal tentacles burst forth from the water, churning the surface into a seething, foaming maelstrom. Those dark, ancient limbs stretched toward the sunlit sky, each one seeking something to crush, smother, or drag screaming into the abyss below. Its size was staggering—so immense it made even the ivory dragon Klaus had once faced in his second nightmare, the mighty Sevirax, seem small and laughably insignificant by comparison.

Amelia watched the harrowing horror rise with a pleasant smile, but she didn't attack. Instead, she bowed with exaggerated flair before the monstrous beast, her laughter echoing across the flooded ruin.

"It's an honor to meet you, Elder Knossos."

This time, the Kraken did not lash out with its colossal tentacles. Instead, from the depths of the dark waters, a voice rumbled forth—deep, ancient, and thunderous. It resonated through the very bones of the earth.

"Let that child go… and we won't have to fight."

Amelia raised an eyebrow at that… but then she paused.

Because in this moment, it wasn't just Knossos, Klaus, and Loki anymore.

She noticed a dark knight standing on a floating platform of darkness to Knossos's right. Towering and imposing, clad in onyx armor, he held a staff in one hand, with darkness leaking from his form like smoke. His eyes glowed with a deep crimson light—eerily mirroring the luster of her own. His limbs, both arms and legs, were unnaturally long, and behind him floated seven spears of pure darkness, each humming with ominous intent.

To Knossos's left stood a skeletal sorcerer draped in a ragged cloak, his face hidden beneath a deep hood. But even so, twin flames of azure flickered in his eye sockets, casting eerie, unnatural light in the mist.

Amelia's grin faded slightly as she took in the scene.

"...Now this gets complicated."

Klaus grinned as he watched her hesitate. Then, with a casual motion, he jumped down from Loki's back—only to stop mid-air, floating effortlessly as if gravity itself bowed to his presence.

"Well? How about now?" he asked, his grin widening.

Amelia met his gaze and winked, as if they hadn't been trying to kill each other just moments ago.

"You do realize," she said smoothly, "that I'm still perfectly capable of killing all of you."

Klaus nodded thoughtfully, a cheeky smirk playing on his lips.

"Even so, there's still a chance you could die. You underestimated me—and because of that, you got injured by Satan. Not to mention, we've got a Transcendent champion of the House of Night, the Great Elder Knossos, on our side. Then there's my skeletal sorcerer, Lich—he's a Transcendent Tyrant. That smug bird and the knight? Both are Ascended Devils... So yeah, I'd say you're at a bit of a disadvantage."

He paused, a dark smile twisting his features. Of course, Klaus knew the truth—even with all of this, they still couldn't beat her. Amelia was that powerful. He had his suspicions before, but now he was certain: she possessed a Sacred-rank Aspect, one focused purely on destruction and combat. And that… was terrifying.

Because of the lack of information, Klaus had taken precautions—he'd informed Knossos before setting out on this mission. That decision had saved his life; Knossos had arrived just in time. But even with the Elder here, the situation remained just as grim.

Because now… if they fought her, not just he, but even Knossos might die.

So, Klaus decided to do something else… he bluffed.

"I'm sure you could kill us," he said smoothly, his smirk returning. "But by doing that, you'd alert the great clans… and make the House of Night your enemy. I doubt that's something you want. At least, not yet, right?"

A voice echoed from the water, deep and rumbling.

"The boy's arrogant… but he's right. We can make a deal."

Amelia's expression darkened. She knew Klaus had struck a nerve. Her organization wasn't yet strong enough to challenge the House of Night, and worse—if Song and Valor identified Yggdrasil as a threat, her entire plan could collapse. Everything she built would be destroyed… and so would she.

"Perhaps…" Amelia replied with a sly smile. "But you need to understand something."

Her voice dropped, sharp with a hint of madness.

"I'm a little insane… so I might just go on a rampage anyway. And if I do let you walk away, I'll need something valuable in return."

Klaus narrowed his eyes, considering her words. He glanced at Knossos, but the mighty Kraken gave no response—silent, still as the abyss.

With a sigh, Klaus turned back to Amelia and gave a slight nod.

Klaus stepped through a door of light and appeared before her. Amelia extended her reptilian hand, and he took it without hesitation. For people like them, a handshake wasn't mere formality—it was an unspoken oath. A symbol of trust, once used in ancient times to show one carried no weapon and meant no harm.

Then, without a word, they both descended from the sky.

They sat across from each other on a pile of broken debris, their eyes locked. It was Klaus who broke the silence, his tone curious and cautious.

"Alright... What can I offer you, then?"

Amelia touched her chin thoughtfully, a playful smile dancing on her lips.

"Information, I suppose. But let's make this fair—I'll give you something useful in return. That said..." Her smile sharpened slightly. "You'll still have to pay a little more for your life. So... do we have a deal?"