***
{Outside The Projection}
As always, Malik's words were too damned cold.
He'd already figured "intruders" out the moment he saw them.
There was no other way this could have gone, but still...
'How unfortunate.'
Malik saw it as unfortunate.
A single word with many meanings.
Though one stood obvious to them all.
His desire for their technology.
Perhaps that was the Sultan in him speaking.
Even then, he was thinking about bettering their lives.
But he knew better than to be greedy, destroying all that remained.
Their bizarre attacks made them too alien to be trusted.
Seeing as how most of Fam Iblis were alive today, he'd done well.
And, of course he did; he was their Sultan, the protector of this realm.
Not a mere king, no... he was a minor step below Malāk...
The second strongest Divine Rank, a literal Angel.
He was already a minor step below THAT.
Above the two minor Mithqal ranks.
Mithqal Al-Haris... the Keeper of the Rukh...
