Zenith Online: Rebirth of the Strongest Player
chapter-479

Kieran's words had struck a deep chord within the Flame.

While the Flame was a manifestation of hatred and vile power, it bore and displayed aspects of loneliness that couldn't be ignored. Now that it had someone to talk to and challenge it, the Flame could not stop talking.

It was stimulated in ways the followers of War and Flame couldn't attain.

Having learned of this power he held, Kieran felt it was the perfect time to lay some rules and establish a clear line in their relationship.

'Flame… I am not your friend. Our relationship will always remain a transaction. You give, I take. You take, I give.'

The Flame grew silent and brooding as if robbed of all joy. It hated being denied, but worst of all, it hated that it didn't realize that, at some point, it wanted to befriend the nameless boy.

No, not that boy.

It was drawn to the spirit and soul that rested in the boy. It could see kindred passion in its nature that even the bearer could not.

Kieran was blind to it… but the Flame was not. A powerful magnetic bond was present, and it pulled the Flame in. But more importantly, that attraction vastly exceeded the connection that led to the Failed Reckoning.

Still, the Flame had a certain level of dignity to uphold. So it returned to its former expression of sinister glee.

"I have not asked for a friend. I want a capable slave."

Kieran remained silent for a bit while shaking his head.

'I'm not your slave either. Neither slave nor companion nor follower.'

Again, the Flame stopped smiling, and that glee it displayed was replaced with revulsion.

"Are you telling me that you will betray me in the end, too?"

A world-breaking pressure bore down Kieran in his Realm of Self. In its unbridled rage, the Flame had let slip its restraints, and in the small window, Kieran felt like he was being crushed, like the Realm was bending and twisting due to an infernal pressure.

That alerted Kieran to a glimpse of the Flame's true might. And what he saw… it left him distraught. Even the Anchor had begun to whine and tremble as if struggling to resist the pressure.

But this was also not something the Flame could continue doing.

Above the Stone Hold, all the followers of War and Flame wailed in unimaginable pain. Their bodies were withering with such terrifying rapidity they lost their fanatic faith in the Flame and began to fear the coming of death.

Of course, Kieran did not hear those screams, but he did feel their subtle vibrations. The Flame's energy ripped through the realm in screaming waves, carrying shrill wails and burning resentments.

Kieran furrowed his brow when he realized something. Why did that combination of words sound so familiar to him?

'Wails and resentments? Is there something there that I ought to remember?'

Kieran tried, but that crushing pressure made it difficult to think. Everything felt compressed, and a lot was being lost in a condensing mass, so… precisely that happened.

He forgot precisely what realization he was coming upon him.

Then, a few seconds later, when the followers of War and Flame had almost lost their fanatical lives, the Flame stopped burning with that crushing dominance.

It had only calmed because the words Kieran squeezed through clenched teeth appeased it.

'I am your Condemned.'

"Ah, delightful. Joyous indeed. Ignore my outburst. You see… we can't have a repeat of the Failed Reckoning, can we? No, no, we can't. Then, all the hard work for my marriage would be for naught. A canceled wedding is heartbreaking and disappointing."

Kieran heaved and panted, almost choking while gasping for air. Which was strange, considering he was inside his Realm of Self.

What was happening to his physical body if the reaction here was this strong?

Likely the same thing that happened to the followers of the War and Flame, which he remained unaware of.

Once he recovered from the Flame's wrathful eruption, Kieran sat a few paces away from the Equality Gate and looked askance at the Flame.

'If I'm to be your Condemned, I desire amnesty from the Culling and its inhumane effects.'

The Flame didn't quite understand this request. It seemed foolish.

"Why? My followers have designed it as a method to honor me and feed me! I hunger. Do you want me to starve?"

Kieran listened, but he disagreed. And because of that, he chose his words carefully.

'I am plenty, but I am not enough. Those were your words. The Culling as it is will no longer give you food. Not from me. Those Voiceless are untrained and unskilled. They run on rage and are easy to kill, leaving me no excitement. Want my bloodlust? Find fitting opponents.'

His argument was backed by undeniable reason, and the Flame agreed, apparent by how its featureless face kept changing as if weighing the options.

Ultimately, the Flame agreed.

It became a rule between the Flame and Kieran that he need not participate in the Culling. Well… almost. That Flame had to add in its eccentric taste.

'You are still nameless, so you must still participate in the Culling's Rite to become an Unspoken of the Flame and thereby gain a name! So, you'll bide your time, growing stronger and more appetizing… until a Voiceless of equal might is born.'

The Flame paused and erupted in a fit of maniacal laughter that shook the entire realm.

"…Then you will fight to the death and paint beautiful carnage!"

It was a compromise Kieran was willing to make. At least at that point… he would no longer have to senselessly slaughter other children. It'd be years before a Voiceless that could rival prospective Fiend was raised.

Those were precious years Kieran could put to good use.

In the end, Kieran had established set boundaries with the Flame. After experiencing the Flame's might, Kieran had learned of his inability to contain. And so, to protect himself… he had unleashed it upon everyone else.

It was an attempt to unburden himself from the guilt, but it was lousy. Instead, Kieran told himself all of this was fated, and it was a canon event written in the records of fate that he couldn't change.

The most he could do was secure his own fate.

'This is just the beginning. I have to be prepared for the end — for the Flame's War. That's where I'll truly make a difference. Sacrifice. To obtain balance… sacrifices must be made.'

Sacrifices must be made to obtain balance. And for that balance… those sacrifices had to know justice when judgment came.

He repeated that phrase until it became a mantra — a droning lull that kept his focus on his current events.

Unknowingly, Kieran had stumbled across one of Eni's many found truths. Perhaps Eni found it by studying history. The Endless had to be ancient, right?

'If not ancient, how could they be Endless?'

The principle of Justice filled Kieran's mind as he utilized his uninterrupted time down here in the Stone Hold well.

In the passing days, the Flame informed Cardinal Weiss of the rule to leave Kieran be, who then passed it on to the entire Order.

That allowed for the silent and gradual accumulation of power, vitality, and drive. The last bit came slowly and resulted from the symbols he assembled in his mind.

Significance was an impeccable teacher but an even finer artist. The strokes it left upon Kieran's virgin mind were exquisite and concise. With each passing day, he became more able to draw mental pictures.

The meaning of each Syllable was slowly captured with incredible clarity.

Thus, the first that came was Judgment — the symbol he had sought initially.