Blood was oozing out of their eyes and mouth.

Their skins were turning pale greenish.

Their vision started to grow dim.

But they saw him—

in the corner of their cartwheeling vision.

That expression of calm satisfaction.

That sadistic smirk tugging at the edge of his lips.

Regret filled their hearts.

They should never have entertained the idea of attacking someone like this.

Now that they thought of it, they had been the first to go after Kailen Darkhaven.

Tyrax Tantamount wished he could go back in time and change the events of the day he attempted to exert authority over Kailen before the Sword Conclave Mountain.

"Fuck, fuck!, fuck!

My ego, my fucking ego has led to my fucking downfall!"

He screamed inwardly, voice completely full of regret.

He now realised that he has underestimated Kailen Darkhaven from day 1.

He had let his ego get the best of him that day.

The moment Kailen Darkhaven told him he won't be joining the student council, he should have just ended the issue there.

Had he been sensible then, this would not have happened.

Dahlia was feeling extremely despaired at this point.

Compared to the others, she harbored no hatred towards Kailen Darkhaven.

Screw his scuffle with the Arcane Empowerment Sect, she just wanted to be the personal disciple of the sect leader—

and that was what had ended her up in this state.

But now, she had regretted not minding her own business,

and letting greed cloud her judgement concerning the grim reaper standing before her.

She wished she could go back in time and actually refuse to participate in the society wars in the first place.

"So much for becoming a universe powerhouse—how despairing."

Riba Harker lay in a pool of blood oozing from eyes and mouth.

He remembered Zarek Atrexia's words that day after Kailen's life and death match with Jin.

Some people are worth befriending than offending.

He mused inwardly to himself, the damage to every part of his being causing him to cough another mouthful of blood.

"So this was what he meant.

Of course, an Atrexian will always be a great judge of character.

To think I'd ignore such a life-saving piece of advice.

Hehe, I even got a girlfriend after slimming down.

Things were starting to shape up for me and then... this...

What a stupid way to go, Riba."

Xyra Ashton stared at not just Kailen Darkhaven,

but —the faint silhouette of an approaching figure.

Esimo?

Of course.

He was here to witness her mighty fall, savor the moment.

To thank Kailen Darkhaven for killing the sister turned persecutor.

She remembered the times they were young and played together.

But she grew more distant as they grew up.

Became more cold to him after learning about the clan inheritance trial.

She didn't see the need to be nice to her brother anymore.

She knew she was more powerful than him, and she'd obviously win the position of clan head—

and in the end, he'd either become a subordinate if he signed a rune oath to serve her,

or if he rebelled, she'd have to dispose of him.

She had steeled her heart for that day.

And when it came...

Well—

She hated him.

Felt threatened by his existence even after he signed a rune oath to stay out of clan matters, simply because he felt uninterested.

That should have been enough for her...

But her paranoia clouded her reasoning.

Or was it more about… feeling she was the one in control when it came to both of them?

She tried everything to get rid of him...

He lived—

and she hated that.

She had wanted to be the one in control.

"When he came to the academy, I thought I finally had the opportunity to get rid of him, but...

I guess going after my brother was the worst decision I ever made.

Now that I look back, things would have been pretty peaceful between us if I had just listened to mum and dad and let the whole obsession with not having authority over him go.

Too late now.

Looking back, I've really been an asshole, huh?"

She realised in final inner musings.

Realizing how much of a villain she had been to her brother,

and realizing the pain she had caused her parents,

she had wanted to send a thought transmission to Esimo—

About how sorry she was about everything.

About how much she wished she could go back in time to fix everything.

Although she knew an apology could never fix her misdeeds nor revert her current outcome,

she at least thought it would have been a good way to give them some closure before she died.

But whatever Kailen Darkhaven had done to her had made her a non-awakener.

She no longer had the perk of sending thought transmissions.

She was losing touch with her sight by the second,

but she could see the expression of coldness in her brother's eyes.

His eyes flickered slightly though, but they resumed their calm.

Perhaps he remembered their time together as children,

and the fact that he stood over her dying figure now made him a bit sad.

But the calm coldness in his eyes at the moment meant that he had thought things through concerning how to handle a situation of this kind.

He turned to Kailen.

"Thank you, Kailen."

After that, Esimo turned into a streak of light and sped off.

Bryce Darkhaven lay sprawled in his own blood.

He knew he was dying.

"Fuck... I feel powerless. Like I did that day."

He remembered it—

the day the fucking crown prince almost killed him.

The fucking crown prince was a Vimodial Contractor,

and his father stood by the side and did nothing.

He even had to sign a rune oath that he'd die by self-detonation if he ever breathed a word of the incident to anyone.

That day... broke him.

But it also made him realize that he had never wanted to feel as powerless as that day ever again.

But to think that seed of ambition would actually lead him down the same road of powerlessness...

Worst of all, he even became a Vimodial Contractor—

something he started to despise the day the crown prince, a Vimodial Contractor wearing saintly skin, almost took his life.

He directed his hatred at himself,

at his father,

at the crown prince—

towards Kailen Darkhaven.

"Now that I'm dying, I realize I don't hate this guy at all.

Just directed hatred that was not meant for him towards him—

hatred for the crown prince, hatred for my father,

and at myself for being pathetic and weak.

But well, it's too late for regrets.

Perhaps, if there's something like reincarnation, I will do better in my next life."

"People sometimes learn the biggest lessons in life when they are about to die, you know," Kailen sighed casually as he drew closer to them.

He squatted, flexing his knees, their terrified and fading gazes begging for mercy.

Casually, voice cold, casual—

"A pity that realizing you shouldn't have even entertained the thought of killing me is not gonna preserve your life right now."

The empire-wide audience watched in silence.

The young lady who had pissed Kailen off in the virtual universe at the Alchemy Association sucked in a breath of cold air.

Turns out she was very fortunate that day.

Compared to what these fellows were going through right now—

the humiliation before the whole empire,

and such a pitiful and painful way to die,

not just physically, but the psychological taunts—

and the realization that Kailen Darkhaven had always known the outcome of their lives,

was something that terrified not only her and the audience,

but most importantly—

his predators now turned prey.

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