The first morning after Ren's arrival, Kaito met with Zylpha in the Cold Steel Courtyard, an open-air training arena where the Citadel's meager light filtered over the iron slabs.
Kaito, wrapped in his dark robes, showed no signs of exhaustion from his "training" the night before. On the contrary, I felt a saturation of energy, a brutal calm. Mastering Ren's will had nurtured his Chaos like nothing else.
Zylpha, in her crimson scale armor and with her obsidian shortsword at her hip, waited for him. Her stern golden gaze assessed Kaito's every move, searching for flaws.
"The Queen is pleased with your initial performance, Spectre," Zylpha said bluntly. "The Paladin is emotionally broken. But we need him to be functional. If he becomes a whining slave, his value as an agent is lost."
"The Paladin will not cry. His mind is too busy feeling my rage," Kaito retorted, with a coldness learned from the Queen. He had adopted the mask of a controller.
Zylpha blushed, a dry gesture barely touching her lips. "Prove it."
Two demon guards brought Ren, whose movements were slow and his face pale. He wore simple prisoner's clothes. Zylpha gestured for the guards to leave.
"Your brother has a unique ability, Spectre. His Forged Light is the only power that cannot be completely nullified by our environment. But his body still remembers pain. I want you to use your Chaos to force him to fight me. If he resists, you will subdue him."
The Lesson of Coercion
Zylpha drew her sword. She did not attack Ren, but instead prepared herself in a defensive stance.
"Paladin." Attack me with the intent to kill me. If you hesitate, the punishment will be the disgrace your brother will make you feel.
Ren hesitated. His Paladin body refused to harm an ally of the Shadow, an act of ultimate betrayal.
"Spectre! Your tool is flawed!" Zylpha spat, turning to Kaito.
Kaito didn't need to move. He focused on the Lasso. It sent no physical pain, but a surge of chaotic authority that anchored itself directly to Ren's will. He injected the command into Ren's mind, using Psychic Denial to erase the doubt.
"Obey," Kaito's command echoed silently inside his brother's head.
Ren groaned, but his body responded. His hand balled into a fist, and a faint flicker of Forged Light materialized in his palm. The Paladin attacked Zylpha with a flurry of trained speed, his face twisted in the agony of forced control.
Zylpha moved gracefully, blocking Ren's Light. She was superior in speed and technique. She didn't injure him, but disarmed him with a precise touch and pushed him to the ground.
"Strong, but unstable!" Zylpha analyzed, her gaze now on Kaito. "You are using too much brute force in your control. You must learn to seduce the Light, not just coerce it."
The First Trial
Zylpha sheathed her sword and approached Kaito. Her proximity was an invasion in the same way as the Queen's, but with the cold, professional threat of a guerrilla war.
"Chaos thrives on pain, but lasting power needs will. If you want your tools and your allies to serve you long-term, you must give them a reason that transcends coercion."
Zylpha placed her hand on Kaito's chest, an action that was both an examination and a bold display of dominance.
"Your power is growing, Spectre. But your emotional control is childish. My discipline is stricter than the Queen's. And if you want me to respect you, and if you want me to become an asset to your rise, you will have to prove that you can take control, even when under pressure."
The Commander was openly challenging him. Their relationship would not be one of direct servitude, but a competition for dominance, a crucial step in the expansion of Kaito's Harem.
"Your next target is the Arcane Circle. You must infiltrate the Elora area and steal a confinement rune. If you fail, the Paladin will suffer my discipline in combat."
Zylpha withdrew her hand, leaving a cold mark on Kaito's chest.
"Go. And do not fail."
Kaito ascended, sensing the challenge. He had dominated Ren. Now, rising to power within the Citadel would require dominating one's own superiors.