Right after the Revenant family fell victim to Grimmoire's Bond, they saw something.
They saw the world in front of them twist, bend, and suffer. They saw their deepest fears become reality, only to vanish an instant later.
They also saw every rule of physics and of the world they knew shatter as if it meant nothing… until they woke up.
—Guess they got lucky and didn't die, haha —Rhys said, trying to lighten the mood—. You know, very few humans have seen what you just saw and lived to tell the tale. So if I were you, I'd feel pretty lucky to witness the sheer magnificence of Lord Grimmoire's "Heart of the Nightmare." I'd say he kind of likes you.
While Rhys delivered his cheap motivational speech, Grimm stood off to the side, wearing an expression of absolute boredom. Even behind that awful mask, as Susan liked to call it, anyone could tell the man was painfully uninterested.
After that, they had completed one out of two objectives. All that remained was the "rather large" Thorne family, and while Grimm might not have realized it, Rhys knew very well this was going to drag on.
After nearly six hours, Grimm had finished his part of the plan. According to Vanguard, he and the other four Faces had already handled the remaining districts across every continent. Each Face had taken charge of an entire continent, coordinating with the governments of the five districts of Chronomia, the five of Azyr, the ten of Umbraxia, and the ten of Draconia.
At the very least, Grimm could take comfort in the fact that his workload hadn't been heavy in numbers. Still, by God, he wished he had dealt with diplomats instead of loud, emotional families. The man desperately needed a break.
With that, the first phase of the plan was complete. Publicly, an announcement was made just one day after the "Afternoon of Tears" incident: in four days, the government of Aldebaran would address the entire planet Terra, offering explanations from the capital of Aldebaran's Eighth District—Frax—right at the Obelisk of Riel. Funny coincidence.
All of this happened only three days after Kael and Anyael vanished. Meanwhile, in Niviro, roughly 771 years had already passed.
Four days later, at the Obelisk of Riel, the five Faces of the Court stood atop an enormous stage alongside the president of Aldebaran District, Juliard Robertson Cortres, and the representatives of the District's Chamber of Deputies. They were surrounded by heavy security, but more importantly, by cameras and massive crowds.
—Hello, everyone —Vanguard began.
Addressing the entire planet, he started explaining what the Transcendent Guardians were and what Aura was. Naturally, he kept it vague, withholding vast amounts of information. He also addressed the cases of Grettel and Mark, as well as Kael and Anyael.
He knew that even with the backing of the Lancer family and the relatives of those involved, convincing the public would be difficult. That was precisely why, days earlier, he had prepared a demonstration.
—Everyone, watch closely —Grimm said, gesturing toward Vanguard—, because you're about to witness the Virtue of the strongest man in humanity.
Every word had been carefully chosen by Vanguard in advance to maximize impact.
Vanguard raised one hand and shouted:
—Look closely, planet Terra. This is my ability: Sekai no Ori.
Above his hand, a car materialized, unfolded directly from space itself, suspended in midair by one of the Faces through their Virtue.
Afterward, Vanguard offered a brief, vague explanation of Sekai no Ori, avoiding details entirely. He wasn't stupid. He could be many things, but stupid wasn't one of them.
He understood exactly how to manipulate humanity in the simplest way possible: give them the illusion of choice, make them believe they were smarter, that sheer numbers gave them authority, and most importantly, that all the information was right at their fingertips. Sure, a few sharp minds would recognize such basic manipulation, but that was unavoidable. In the end, masses are built on the majority—and the majority is stupid.
Once that internal monologue ended, Vanguard continued speaking, filling the time with themes of patriotism, human unity, and duty. The duty of the Transcendent Guardians. Slowly, carefully, he reshaped public opinion, turning the TG into heroes in the eyes of the world. All of this in under one or two hours. Without question, Vanguard was a monster— in the best possible sense.
But in a single moment, everything was about to turn upside down.
By sheer whim of fate, something happened.
This conference took place exactly seven days after the "Life or Death" incident. In other words, Anyael and Kael had spent 1800 years in Niviro.
Just as Vanguard declared the event concluded, a reflux Aura portal opened.
Shock spread instantly. This was one of the very phenomena Vanguard had spoken about. Some believed it was simply another TG demonstration. Others, more skeptical, assumed it was nothing more than special effects.
Then, from the portal emerged none other than Anyael Revenant.
A completely different Anyael.
He wore torn, short shorts. Her black hair had grown longer, tied back into a ponytail streaked with red strands. Her eyes burned with determination. Her torso and arms were wrapped in the same bandages Kael used to wear beneath his uniform. On her back, a black crow-shaped "tattoo" was visible. At her waist rested Marea, and in her left hand he held the severed head of a strange Aural Beast—something vaguely resembling a crocodile by Terra's standards, and even that was a stretch.
In her right hand, he wielded the Grass Sword.