A week had passed since Thalamik began his rehabilitation along with Momoka. They rested inside the Saint HQ medical facility. At dawn, Thalamik jogged alongside Momoka in the gardens of the Saint HQ. Unknown to many people, the Saint HQ is around 28 acres in size. It has many facilities other than just the main building where Veuz usually resides to do her work.
The main reason Thalamik chose to be here, however, is...
"Phew, that was a good run, wouldn't you say, Momoka?" he asked spiritedly.
"Sure is. United Front air feels nice," Momoka said, using a small towel to sweep away her sweat.
Then, a pink orb appeared in front of them. "A morning jog routine is always good. It has been a pleasant week for you two. Wouldn't you agree?"
"It is. How are the diagnostics, EiEi?" Thalamik directed a question to AA, who was monitoring their health for the time being.
"Let's see. In terms of physical health, I would say you both are very, very healthy," AA said with a confident tone. "I wouldn't say the same about your mental health, especially..."
"Hahaha." Thalamik laughed. "You know, it's only been a week, right? We'll get by somehow." He continued with a smile. "Is Lady Veuz in her office?"
"Let me check," AA began, blinking her light in her orb form. "Yes, she is currently handling some stuff, though. Carmilla and Raymed are there as well."
"Ah, very great. I have been meaning to meet them." Thalamik proclaimed. He began to walk toward the direction of the main building.
"Master. Isn't it a fact that--"
"Haven't you been purposefully avoiding them? I am not sure I understand."
Thalamik looked at both Momoka and AA with a confused look. "I never personally had any problems," he said, raising his hands.
"Given the information we have at hand, I presume it would be best for us to work closely with High Humans. However, given how controlling Morgwyn is, I wouldn't be sure she won't use strategies like the one Blastar used. Sacrifice a few to save more," Grand Saint Veuz explained. "Even as powerful as I am, I won't treat a life as just that of a consumable."
"I know she may seem like that. Yet, time and time again, she has shown she can change perspectives." Raymed shook his head. "What I mean to say is that with enough convincing, Morgwyn is open to our strategies. I can guarantee it," Raymed said with conviction.
"It's not just that, Ray. Morgwyn was also the one who gave Blastar to Vanguard Academy. She is the prime suspect of the crime because Blastar was originally hers. It won't be long before she is seen as public enemy #1, whether or not Zuatha sabotaged it," Carmilla explained. "To instantly work closely with her after this incident would only incite the other races to view the United Front as no longer neutral."
Everyone inside the room was silent and lost in thought. They didn't even realize Thalamik and Momoka had entered a while ago, eavesdropping on their conversation.
"I have a solution," Thalamik casually said.
"AA!" Raymed said.
"WHOA!" Carmilla said.
"Thalamik. How have you been faring?" Veuz said with a smile.
"I would like to propose that we work with Derashina. She is currently in town as well, I believe."
"How did you know?" Raymed asked.
"I asked her." Thalamik pointed at the pink orb flying beside him.
"Hello, Mr. Raymed the Hero. Pleased to meet you. I am AA."
"Eh?" Raymed's face made a listless look. He was so confused about what was going on.
"I don't have time for this..." Thalamik shook his head. "I'll solve the current issue with reconnecting and trust-building with the other regions. However, I won't do it for free." Carmilla gave a look at Thalamik, noticing his seriousness.
"I am willing to hear your plan."
"I will personally go to the Demi-Human regions. Both in the AUS region and in the AFR region. I heard a Demon Lord Envoy manifested in the AFR region. So if there's still that threat, I will solve it at once. Through securing this connection with them, we will have the backup power needed. I will take Momoka and Besitulars with me on this mission. Momoka has contacts among the Demi-Humans in AUS, and I will also ask for an introductory letter from Derashina. Meanwhile, Besitulars has ties to Borreas, so I will bring him too."
"What will you ask in return?"
"I expect a full clearance of my debt. Also, I want private rights to enter the Saint HQ prison facility as I please. I ask that it be granted immediately before my departure."
"I presume you would--"
"That's right." Thalamik cut Veuz off in the middle of her remark. "As of now, we don't really need her alive. Yet, it wouldn't be fair to pass judgment without--"
"Who said I wanted to kill her?"
Carmilla looked into Thalamik's eyes. Usually, whenever he was in a deep emotional state, flickers of fiery magical energy appeared in his eyes. But none were present. Could it be? Thalamik has...
"Effective immediately, you are granted full clearance of your previous debts. They will be paid with Vanguard Academy funds--"
"Ah, I also resign from my position as Vanguard Academy Special Auditor. I don't want it anymore. I no longer desire affiliation with Vanguard Academy."
Veuz went silent with a confused face. "You wish to no longer work with us?"
"It's not that. It's just that your methods aren't always compatible with mine. I don't want to be affiliated more or less so that you won't suffer any consequences from the measures I choose to make." Then, only then, did Carmilla feel something very strange about the conversation.
"If that's your decision, it will also be granted."
"Then, I am off to the prison." Thalamik smiled before exiting the room.
.
.
"Momoka, why didn't you go with him?" Raymed asked.
"It's because of what will happen shortly," Momoka replied.
"BREACH DETECTED. Miss Veuz, the jailroom containing Vanguard Academy Directors and Zuatha Il Zikmel." AA announced, opening up a screen in the air showing the live feed.
Raymed, Carmilla, and Veuz, who were startled, started looking at Thalamik inside the jailroom with his enemies: Director Tels of the Fey, Director Yu of the Spiritfolk, Director Loval of the Beastfolk, Vice Principal Zuatha Il Zikmel, and Principal Celathis Il Zikmel.
***
"Yo. It's been a year. Relatively," Thalamik said with a smile.
"K-Kaiser!?" Celathis said as she spilled her drink. Her glass, filled with wine, broke on the floor. The jailroom didn't really look like a jail. It still looked quite fancy, like an apartment. It was just located in the basement.
"Heh. So my toy has finally made it out," Zuatha Il Zikmel said, with chains on her hands, yet she was still able to move almost freely.
"Heh." Thalamik greeted her with a smile.
"First things first." Thalamik swept his hand, and suddenly, blood spurted everywhere.
"AAAAA!!!" Principal Celathis's hands were severed as blood spurted like a fountain.
Tels, Yu, and Loval all charged at him.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk." They were all held in place by Thalamik's mana field. He flicked his finger, only for the three of them to be pushed into the floor hard enough to make it crack. A loud moan of pain echoed through the jailroom.
"GUARDSSS, HELPPP USSS!"
"GUARDSSSSS!!!"
"AAAAA!!!!"
Thalamik lifted his hand once more, and the three Directors who charged at him were silenced. Mana Field was covering their entire faces, leaving them unable to make a sound. "Celathis, I wanted to ask you a question. Where is Diko?"
"Ghh... I... I have no idea who that is..."
"Oh. That's so. Welp."
SLASH!
Thalamik severed Celathis's head with a black blade. As it fell down, blood once again spurted, decorating his black shirt with blood. "Ew. Elven blood." Meanwhile, the other Directors struggled in fear. Slowly, Thalamik began to close his fingers as the pressure on his mana fields began to harden.
Tels, Loval, and Yu could noticeably scream for their lives. Yet they couldn't do anything. "Bye-bye, lowlifes," Thalamik said with a smile before all of their heads were crushed into a million pieces due to his overwhelming power. He nonchalantly walked slowly toward Zuatha Il Zikmel, who was sitting on a chair.
"Guess the war didn't just improve your power. It also strengthened your mentality."
"Get on the floor, bitch." Thalamik kicked Zuatha's chair, making her fall to the floor. He planted his feet on her leg, casually breaking it in one step. "Even with a broken leg, the least you can do is kneel, right?" he said with a cold smile.
"Hahaha. Sadistic bastar--"
Thalamik stuck his right shoe into Zuatha's mouth. "Or you could lick my dirty shoes stained with the blood of your comrades. Or should I say your tools?" With his other foot, he kicked Zuatha to the side wall, and it began cracking.
Zuatha looked very pitiful at this moment. She wasn't wearing the clothes she used to wear. But Thalamik didn't care whether she was in prison rags or not. This was still Zuatha Il Zikmel.
"Finish the job. She said."
Thalamik's hand grabbed the forehead of Zuatha Il Zikmel. "That would honestly be too good for you. Someone like you deserves to be toyed with for at least 100 years. So why would I kill you right off the bat?" Thalamik began crushing his hand as Zuatha felt her skull slowly cracking.
"AAAA!!!!"
Letting her head go, Thalamik stepped on her abdomen once more. "Hahaha. You really are such a lowlife. I can't believe I used to chase you down. You aren't even worth killing." He took out something, a fragment or some kind of device. "Remember this?"
Zuatha's eyes began to twitch. "That's--"
"Yes, you put this in me before. Now, it's my turn." Thalamik performed the most unholy act he could ever do. He pulled her by the hair, slamming her down to the floor and positioning her so he could see her back. He slashed open a wound to make a hole. With his right arm, he inserted Zuatha's own device into her spinal cortex area. He patched it all up with basic healing spells afterward so as not to leave too much damage on her.
"Electrocute!"
ZAPPPPP!!!!
Sparks of magical energy began running wild as Zuatha was electrocuted without mercy. Her screams echoed through the jailroom.
"MR. THALAMIK!!! YOU ARE TO STOP THIS RIGHT NOW!" a prison guard appeared and said.
"Ah, right. Sorry for taking too long for a visit." Thalamik then ripped a piece of Zuatha's clothing, wiping the blood around his outfit before force-feeding the cloth into Zuatha's mouth. "I'll be back. Count on it," he said with a smile. He walked away from the jailroom into the hall. The guard was so afraid that he didn't even want to be near him.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?" Raymed arrived, putting a hand on Thalamik's collar.
"Living," he replied, without showing signs of remorse.
"What the hell? What the hell is it with you?"
Golden chains began appearing all around Thalamik's body. "Wow, Mila. I didn't think you would be like this," Thalamik said with confidence. "Do you even have the remote realization of what this would mean?"
"I do," he said, nodding at Carmilla's question.
"Then why? Why would you do something like this!?"
"Because I can and I will. I am alive and intend to live." Thalamik answered casually, destroying all the chains linked around his body. "If Zuatha hates as naturally as she breathes, what's wrong with me hating Zuatha as naturally as I breathe?"
"Because that would make you the same as her! Is that what you want, Thalamik?" Carmilla said.
"Who the fuck cares!?" Thalamik said, waving his arms in confidence. "It doesn't matter anyway. Who in this world could defeat me?"
Suddenly, Raymed raised his magical energy, calling out Blastur and pointing it at him. "Say that again."
Thalamik smiled, calling out Blastar and pointing it back at him. "You wanna go?"
"Stop it, both of you," Carmilla summoned her golden chains directed at both of them.
"But I am busy. I need to clean up messes that you never cleaned up, oh so-called 'Hero'." Thalamik walked past Raymed nonchalantly. "Go back to searching for Kourin, for all I care." Raymed gripped his sword before exhaling. He didn't respond to Thalamik's mockery and let him walk away.
***
Exiting the prison facility, Thalamik called AA.
"AA, please tell Veuz I will see my deal complete. I won't betray my promise. But I won't stay in contact for very long. I will save this world in my own way."
"Will you be okay?" AA asked.
"Yes, I will." He said, walking to the streets of the United Front. He met Momoka near Psytelier's old house. "Are you ready?" Thalamik asked.
"As I'll ever be."
The two went inside the house as they prepared to save the world.