The palace fell silent except for the strong rumble of thunder overhead. Dust hung in the air, and for a moment everything felt frozen by the shock of what had just happened.
Then the ground in the throne hall moved. The crater split, and the Emperor shot out of the rubble. He landed on his feet facing us, armor cracked down the breastplate, blood trickling from his lips. His eyes were red with rage, but he held himself steady, forcing his anger into a cold mask.
He stared straight at me. "Who are you?" he asked.
"My name is Billion Ironhart, and I am the guardian of Vaythos," I said, my voice even.
"Guardian of Vaythos?" Odin repeated, surprise cutting through the pain on his face.
"I came to negotiate with Sukra," I told him, and I pointed to the frozen Ferans and the captured Grandmasters hovering behind me. "For your part with the Ferans," I said, "and for aligning with Saturn of Peanu, who sided with the Eternals, you are guilty. You are unfit to rule Sukra."
