"Don't worry. He's regained his senses," Ato said, knowing what Lissandra was worried about.
"Celestial Warriors had indestructible bodies, but their minds were far less unbreakable."
Every Celestial Warrior who had fought the Void creatures had been corrupted by the Void and suffered mental problems, though none of them showed it.
When the Empress fell in battle, one of her descendants inherited the throne, and the empire continued to function for several hundred years.
"Then the last emperor, Azir, was betrayed by his best friend and died during the Ascension Ritual. The imperial bloodline ended, and the corrupted Celestial Warriors could no longer suppress their ambitions."
"They divided the empire's territory among themselves. Their bodies no longer shone with radiance, but instead turned dark and bloodthirsty. The others called them 'Darkin.' This period of division lasted for several more centuries, until the Celestials of Mount Targon intervened and ended that dark age."
After hearing the history of a distant land, Lissandra forgot for a moment to consider the terms of the deal.
"That's the full story behind the Icathian War. Few records remain of the battles themselves, and the Darkin aren't willing to talk about them."
"What I'm saying is, there's no question about the Celestial Warriors' combat strength. If that many monsters were unleashed in Freljord, could the three Demigods and you Three Sisters win the war?" Ato pressed his advantage.
"Not nearly... Freljord would be destroyed," Lissandra had to admit.
Ato had chosen to negotiate with Lissandra because he was worried about Freljord, the region closest to the Void. With their great enemy at the gates, they were still fighting among themselves, their tribes' fortunes rising and falling as they squandered their fighting strength.
Once the Watchers broke free of their seal, this would be the first line of defense.
"I need to know how many Celestial Warriors you can send."
Ato glanced at Aatrox. The latter hesitated before answering, "There have been no Celestial Warriors since the fall of the Ancient Shurima Empire."
"Now we're Darkin. Our power has diminished compared to when the empire still stood. Mine has, too."
"That was inevitable. After all, you once saved this world," Lissandra said, understanding.
"I held the position of the empire's highest-ranking general, second only to Empress Setheka."
"So I didn't fight alone. Many people followed my orders. They were my subordinates, but they were also my brothers."
"They all died in that war. Fewer than half survived, and they eventually became Darkin..." Aatrox's voice carried unmistakable sorrow.
"But even after becoming Darkin, their loyalty to me had endured for thousands of years. They would still obey my commands and await my awakening."
Lissandra couldn't help feeling hopeful. "So how many reinforcements can you send?"
"Of the brothers sleeping in Freljord, I can sense... only one."
"...What?" Lissandra's expression froze, and disappointment welled up in her.
Before Lissandra could change her mind, Ato explained, "In the thousand years since he escaped his seal, he's traveled almost the entire world."
"Of the Darkin scattered around the world, no more than ten still follow his commands. The others are either missing or weren't Aatrox's allies. This is the largest force we can muster."
"Against Void creatures, no matter how many ordinary people you send, they'll only serve as nourishment for making more monsters. Only Darkin, with their powerful individual combat strength, can stand against them."
"Besides, the Void hasn't completely escaped its seal yet. You should know the results of past investigations very well: 'The seal shows signs of weakening, but remains stable.'"
"We'll awaken the Darkin sleeping in Freljord and have her monitor the seal in place of your Iceborn. If a few monsters slip through, she can easily deal with them."
"And when the seal fails completely, we'll bring all our forces to Freljord."
"That's all the support we can offer. What do you think?" Ato let out a long breath. I never realized I was capable of weighing the pros and cons!
Lissandra rose slowly, a True Ice pedestal forming beneath her feet once more. Resting her chin on one hand, she paced around the sacrificial hall.
I've said everything I can... The current situation and the state of the seal must be putting her under tremendous pressure.
Having the Darkin's help would solve her biggest problem. She'll probably agree to the deal! Ato was confident.
Fifteen minutes later, just as Ato counted Lissandra's twenty-fourth circuit around the hall, he received her final decision.
"I agree to the deal. But I have one condition: awaken the Darkin sleeping in Freljord at once. I want to observe her and make sure she won't endanger us."
From their conversation, Lissandra had gathered that the Darkin was apparently female.
"No problem." Ato slung the greatsword over his back. "A pleasure doing business."
On the way to Frost Guard Fortress, Aatrox finally sensed a familiar presence in the mountains not far from the fortress. That let Ato settle the details of the deal.
The group left the fortress. Lissandra briefly explained her deal with Ato to the Iceborn under her command, then selected several people to accompany her to the awakening site. The old priest Loraka was among them.
"Tell me roughly where it is."
Is she going to use some special method to move us quickly? Ato's thoughts raced, but he didn't hide anything. "South of the fortress. The first mountain range you come to."
"Don't make any sudden moves." Lissandra's arms took on a deep blue hue as she swept them through the cold wind.
"Freeze!"
A bone-deep chill rose from beneath Ato and the others. True Ice formed under their feet, with slender icicles extending all around them like bony claws.
Lissandra changed her hand gestures. Dense, frigid mist spread out, blocking their sight. In the next instant, the mist cleared, and they found themselves near the target mountain range.
"So fast? A mage's teleportation is always enviable... Why can't warriors learn to teleport?" Ato grumbled to himself.
"We can begin," Lissandra said, nodding to Ato.
"Wait." Ato turned to the Iceborn. "No matter what you see, trust that everything is under control. Don't overreact. That's what your Matriarch promised me."
"...We will obey the Matriarch's will." Loraka and the others didn't understand, but since Lissandra had agreed, they had no objections.
Ato closed his eyes and calmed his slight excitement. He drew the Demonic Sword of the Dark, then focused his mind and restored it to its original, terrifying appearance.
"Frost above, is that the embodiment of a demon?"
If Ato hadn't warned them, Loraka and the others might have instinctively struck back.
Ato activated the Demon Sword's power, and a wave of bloodlust erupted. Aatrox's voice echoed throughout the mountain range.
"Anaakca... Anaakca... Anaakca..."
Before you continue