The air in the Citadel's underground Forge was heavy and dense, saturated with the heat of combat magic and forged metal. For Kaito, the atmosphere was a release from Elora's cold intellectual discipline, but a looming threat of brute force.
Zylpha, the Dark Elf Commander, stood at the center of the Forge, her crimson scales gleaming under the glow of the runes. She had received the Queen's report on Kaito's success in the Arcane Circle, and her expression was one of competitive jealousy. Kaito's intellect had triumphed, and Zylpha wanted to remind him that true power is measured in the ability to inflict and endure pain.
"The Spectre, with his bookworm mind," Zylpha said, without greeting. "He has impressed Master Elora. Now, prove to me that you are worthy of my respect, not just her knowledge."
Ren was dragged away by two soldiers. The Paladin was bound, but not gagged. His face showed a weary resignation, and his eyes fixed on Kaito with a mixture of pleading and hatred.
"Your brother still breathes, Spectre," Zylpha continued. "The Queen needs the Paladin to be a functioning combatant, to obey orders even under the worst punishment. You are her remote control. I will do the damage. You will do the obedience."
Zylpha tossed Kaito a short obsidian rod, a magical shock weapon.
"Your first act of discipline: force the Paladin to fight my finest soldier. If the Paladin attempts to surrender, you will use that rod to inject pain directly into his Lightforged. I want you to make it yours in combat."
Kaito felt the cold metal in his hand. He knew Zylpha was testing him: if he was too soft, he would lose the Commander's respect. If he was too cruel, he could render his tool useless. His only option was to be absolutely efficient.
"Begin, Kaito," Zylpha ordered, with a smile that denoted anticipation.
The Circle of Torment
Zylpha's "soldier" was not a daemon, but an enormous elemental construct of basalt and fire, immune to direct Chaos. Ren didn't stand a chance.
Kaito concentrated. He used the Lasso, not to transmit pain, but focus. He forced Ren to ignore his fear and focus on the combat technique that had made him the deadliest Paladin in Aethelgard. Ren, moved by his brother's intrusive will, drew his Lightforged sword.
The fight was brutal. The construct attacked not with the intent to kill, but to destroy Ren's psychic armor. The Paladin, forced by Kaito, moved with desperate precision, but the fear in his eyes was palpable.
At one point, the construct threw a punch that Ren could have dodged, but his survival instinct, that last shred of his free will, made him hesitate.
"Now, Spectre!" Zylpha shouted.
Kaito didn't hesitate. He pointed the obsidian rod at his own chest, at the center of the Bond. He activated the weapon.
A burst of pure Ash energy touched the bond. The pain wasn't just physical; it was existential pain. Ren collapsed, screaming, his Lightforged sword fading. The pain didn't come from outside; it came from his very soul.
"Get up!" Kaito's mental command was a Chaos whiplash.
Ren stood, trembling, his eyes fixed on Kaito with a mixture of terror and total submission. The elemental construct retreated.
"Enough," Zylpha said with slow satisfaction. "I demonstrated control. But you still need to understand discipline."
The Lesson of Discipline
Zylpha approached Kaito and took the staff from him. Her body exuded intense heat, the residue of her combat magic.
"Chaos earns the right to rule over pain. Discipline must be as pleasurable for the love as it is painful for the slave," Zylpha said, her words falling to a deep whisper. "Your brother is your instrument. I am your master."
Zylpha faced Kaito, assessing him not with Elora's mind, but with a pure, instinctive appreciation of strength. The atmosphere of the Forge, saturated with energy, became intimate, a bubble of heat and power.
"You've shown me you can break the Paladin. Now, show me you can take the power of the Crimson Flame," Zylpha said, her piercing gaze challenging Kaito to take the initiative. She was the Commander of discipline, and her submission was only earned with total and unquestioning dominance.
Kaito, feeling the challenge, the fire in his veins, and the taste of control in his mouth, understood the new lesson: power isn't just earned, it's taken. And his rise in the Harem of Ash required subduing the Commander with her own fire.