Chapter 2404: Dimmed [Bonus]

[Bonus thanks to BobtheEngineer <3]

Sylas didn’t say anything about Fanelei pretending to be frozen, mostly since he thought the decision was probably the correct one.

She had improved a great deal since he last properly measured her strength and was likely among the strongest Legends the Mortal Plane could produce, but her body hadn’t had enough time to truly benefit from Demi-Godhood yet.

Considering the Rank of her Race and what Sylas had done to the foundations of her lives, once that transformation properly settled she would probably become one of the strongest Legends of the Demi-God Plane as well.

Fanelei seemed to realize that Sylas had seen through her anyway, and after holding still for another few breaths, she cleared her throat before looking up toward his throne. A sheepish smile appeared on her face as she finally straightened. "Don’t blame me, this is what happens when my man isn’t here to support me."

Sylas raised an eyebrow.

Elara immediately burst into laughter, doubling forward on her throne while Fanelei’s smile became increasingly awkward beneath Sylas’ stare. "I leave for a few months and suddenly you have bitches everywhere, big bro? I didn’t know you were like that. Maybe all men really are the same after all."

Sylas looked toward her.

Elara ignored the warning this time and pointed toward the distant remains left behind by Tomoe’s last battle. "Look what happened to that guy for being too lustful. I barely interacted with that guy and for some reason he thought he could marry me. He wasn’t even handsome, who the hell does he think he is?"

The joking words carried much farther than Elara probably intended, and several expressions around the five thrones changed almost immediately. Januar had already pieced together their relationship, but for the many others who hadn’t, hearing Elara casually call Sylas her big brother erased whatever uncertainty remained.

Two Grimblades had taken thrones.

The realization spread quickly, and this time there was no story Sylas needed to write into the sky for everyone to understand the implications. Whatever made the Beast Emperor Sanctum valuable enough to drag Gods across Planes and gather the greatest geniuses of several worlds, forty percent of the final positions now belonged to a single family from a Galaxy that had barely escaped its Summoning.

The Grimblade name was no longer something the people gathered here could dismiss as Sylas alone.

Light began gathering around the five thrones before that thought could spread much farther, and the enormous palace beneath them pulsed in response. The mountains stretching throughout the World of Spirits answered one after another, countless Beast Wills rising from their peaks while streams of rainbow light flowed toward the center.

—

[Throne of Representative Wills — Final Phase]

[Five Representatives Confirmed]

[Select the Path through which you will descend upon the Beast Sanctum]

[Your chosen Path will determine the Will you inherit, the Fate you contend for, and the authority you may claim]

—

Sylas’ eyes narrowed slightly as the notification settled into place. So this was the real purpose of the five thrones.

Before he could study the Paths forming beneath them in greater detail, a voice finally came from the throne that had been occupied first.

"It’s nice that you all decided to show up to my coronation."

Rhykan remained reclined across his seat as though the gathering of Gods, Demons, Angels, Heavenly Serpentes, and monsters from countless Races had been arranged purely for his entertainment. At the base of his throne, Caracos Thar lay stretched across the floor with her head between her paws, blue-steel lightning drifting lazily through her white fur.

Rhykan leaned forward and patted the lioness on the head.

"But I think I’ll just be taking this for myself now."

Something shifted and Sylas’ pupils constricted.

His attention locked onto Caracos, not because her body had changed immediately, but due to the Will connecting her to Rhykan. What had once looked like an overwhelming accumulation around the Virtue and Sin of Sloth had altered completely, the relationship twisting into something Sylas had only sensed indirectly before.

Slovenly Madness.

No... Sylas’ eyes rotated as layers of Rune and Will relationships unfolded before him.

Caracos hadn’t simply inherited Slovenly Madness.

She had become it.

The lioness’ eyes slowly opened and the World of Spirits whined.

A low vibration spread through the palace beneath the thrones, then through every mountain surrounding it as though the entire realm had suddenly been placed under an impossible weight.

Peaks that had stood separated by thousands of kilometers began shifting, their silhouettes sliding across the horizon while rivers of rainbow light climbed upward instead of falling.

The palace blazed. Walls that had only recently solidified became translucent, revealing enormous Rune formations buried through every layer of stone. Those Runes ignited in sequence until the entire structure couldn’t simply be embodied by the world "palace", and was more like a burning, roaring sun, while the five Paths beneath the thrones began bending toward one another.

Sylas rose slightly from his seat.

The others reacted a fraction later.

Tomoe’s grin vanished as she looked toward Rhykan, Januar’s fingers stopped above his typewriter, and even Elara finally lost the playful expression she had been wearing. The Path beneath Rhykan wasn’t simply becoming stronger than the others, it was consuming their distinction.

The four remaining thrones dimmed.

—

[Perfect Path Detected]

[A Representative has completed the conditions for Perfect Selection]

[All competing Paths will be subordinated]

—

The mountain range surrounding the Beast Sanctum folded inward.

Caracos finally stood, and with the movement of her enormous body, the Slovenly Madness pouring from her seemed to seep into every corner of the realm. The five Paths collapsed toward Rhykan’s throne, one after another losing their color as the palace above and below them roared with light.

Another notification appeared, in bold, graceful font that seemed not just written for their own eyes, but for those of the entire universe itself. It emblazened itself into reality and made its presence known to all.

—

[Progenitor Selected]

[Quicktime Event Completed]

[Winner: Rhykan Purvon]

—