With their combined full-force strike, the Void Nexus finally exploded into countless fragments. The black threads snapped one after another, and the chains of consciousness connecting millions of controlled people shattered at the same time.
Across the entire Alliance, every controlled soldier stopped moving simultaneously.
Zeus knelt on the floor of the Supreme Hall, his hands trembling as they covered his face. Golden tears dripped through his fingers.
As a creator, he should not have been able to cry. The existence of the Conceptual Gods transcended the emotional constraints of mortals, yet at that moment, the memories he had suppressed came flooding back like a burst dam.
Every innocent person he had ordered to be controlled.
Every family shattered because of his commands.
Every life lost because of his decisions.
The despairing eyes of the Moderate Faction Four when they were placed under house arrest, Iota's agonized pleas before his self-destruction, the hollow eyes of those soldiers... all those images replayed in his mind over and over, cutting into his soul like a dull blade.
"What have I done... What have I done..." His voice was hoarse and broken.
Gamma crouched down and placed a hand on his old friend's shoulder. "It wasn't you. The Lord of the Void did it through you."
"But it was me!" Zeus suddenly raised his head, his eyes bloodshot. "I opened that door! I accepted his power! I wanted perfect order so badly that I lost my judgment!"
His voice grew increasingly agitated. "If I'd been clearer-headed, if I'd been more vigilant, if I'd listened to Alpha's advice... none of this would have happened!"
After a moment of silence, Alpha said, "Save the self-blame for later. Right now, we need you to do the right thing. Tens of thousands in the Alliance are still