Dragon Soaring World gritted his teeth until they cracked. Blood ran down the corner of his mouth, filling it with a metallic sweetness.
He could not kneel.
Qin Chuan watched him. Night Cherry Tangle watched him. Season Star, Dawn, Mirror—everyone watched him.
He was the first to put the New Order into practice.
How he held himself would become its first unwritten rule.
Night Cherry Tangle tightened his grip on his sword hilt.
He saw something of himself in Dragon Soaring World.
That same resolve to sacrifice everything for the path he believed in.
Data flashed through Season Star's eyes faster than ever. She was recording every change in Dragon Soaring World's body, from his vital signs to the frequency of his soul's fluctuations.
Every analysis led to the same conclusion: a mortal body could not withstand a soul extraction of this magnitude.
Dragon Soaring World could collapse at any moment.
But he did not.
"Interesting."
The avatar of Dies Martin, Lord of Lies, spoke in a low voice from within that mass of twisted light and shadow.
The god could feel Dragon Soaring World resisting.
It was not resistance born of strength, but sheer stubbornness of will.
To a god who played with lies and schemes, such pure resolve was a rare and entertaining toy.
The force the god exerted suddenly intensified.
"Pfft!"
Dragon Soaring World spat out a cloud of blood.
He felt his consciousness being pulled away. The starry sky before his eyes spun and shattered.
A heartbeat before he lost all awareness, the [War Ladder] appeared in his mind—grim with iron and blood, as though the roars of countless warriors echoed from it.
That was the path he yearned for!
A fierce force surged from the depths of his will and dragged his crumbling consciousness back