Kaito traveled to the borders of the Middle Lands, near the contact point Lysandra had established for the infiltration of Captain Theron's Replica. He wore simple traveling clothes, relying solely on the subtlety of his Chaos to conceal his power signature. His mission was to monitor Theron's mission and ensure that the double-dealing agent carried out the internal destruction of the mercenaries loyal to the Conclave.
The Replica, acting with the cold precision instilled by Kaito, had already joined the targeted cell and was sowing discord. Kaito hid in a burned-out forest, concentrating on the psychic thread that linked him to his creation.
The Ambush in the Wasteland
The calm was broken by the sound of cautious footsteps. Kaito's instincts warned him of danger. It wasn't the mercenary cell; it was the new resistance.
Captain Vorlag and Lucius Valerius burst into the clearing. Vorlag had been tracking rumors of unusual Shadow activity. Lucius, his face hardened by rage, wielded a short sword.
Vorlag, with his Paladin training, sensed Kaito's presence despite the subtlety of Chaos.
"Show yourself, demon!" Vorlag shouted.
Kaito had no choice. He allowed his Chaos to manifest, revealing himself.
"Captain Vorlag, the exile. Lucius Valerius. What a sad end to the pride of Aethelgard," Kaito said, his voice calm.
Lucius screamed and charged, driven by hatred and the need to avenge his father. Kaito easily evaded him, using a swift Zylpha movement.
"Your rage is useless, Lucius." "It's what feeds us," Kaito said.
Vorlag intervened, his sword clashing with Kaito's armored arm.
"You are Kaito, Ren's brother. You are betrayal incarnate. I will kill you and free your brother!"
The Game of Truth
Kaito knew he couldn't win a protracted fight without exposing himself to the risk of discovery by his own Shadow agents. He needed to dismantle his will, just as he had with Valerius.
Kaito broke away from Vorlag. He used the Bond of Ash to focus Vorlag's and Lucius's rage.
"The truth is more destructive than any sword, Captain," Kaito said, his voice thick with Controlled Chaos.
Kaito didn't project a lie; he used the truth he had kept secret, his mother's secret and the prophecy, Ren's ultimate weapon.
"My mother didn't want my brother to be a hero." She knew I was destined to be Vice-Commander of Ash. Her only plan was to create an Ancient Entity capable of sealing the Queen and the Light away.
The revelation stopped Vorlag. Lucius blinked, confused by the complexity.
"She left a map of reincarnation, a place that could end the Shadow's rule and the corruption of the Conclave. I have that map, Vorlag, extracted from the last fragment of my brother's mind."
Kaito paused, his play masterful.
"If you kill me now, the map is lost. The Shadow wins, and my mother's ancient pact with the Queen will never be broken. You are the only ones who can prevent this from happening."
Vorlag hesitated; his faith in the hierarchy had been broken, but his loyalty to the truth had not. The terror of an ancient entity that could destroy all of Etherea was a greater fear than the Shadow itself.
"Why are you telling us this?" Lucius asked suspiciously.
"Because the Queen seeks only power. I seek total supremacy. And if I want to dominate the Shadow, I need to know that the Light cannot be resurrected. Go North. Seek the Oath of the Dawnkeeper. I will give you the first clue, Captain, because you were loyal to your oath, not to men."
Kaito tossed a small obsidian pendant to the ground, a tracking device that would guide them to the first clue. Kaito wasn't asking for help; he was directing the new resistance toward his own agenda.
Before Vorlag could react, Kaito dissolved into a cloud of controlled ash, leaving the Captain and Lucius with the dilemma: destroy the Vice-Commander, or follow the trail he had given them to save Etherea from a greater threat?
Kaito returned to Darkdawn Citadel, smiling. He had sown distrust in the heart of the resistance, using them as pawns in the game of ancient prophecy. The challenge he now faced was not the Queen, but the ambition growing in his own mind.