Following the secret pact between Jinoku and Yue Ming, news reached Rin, the King of the Fire Kingdom. Although he knew a meeting had taken place, the details of the contract remained a mystery to him. Fueled by suspicion and rage, Rin summoned Jinoku for an audience.
Jinoku arrived at the grand assembly hall located in the western reaches of the continent. Before entering, he turned to his personal guard and commanded sternly, "Stay back. I will handle this alone."
He stepped into the hall and took his seat at the massive table. Opposite him sat Rin, his face a mask of fury.
"Peace be upon you," Jinoku said calmly.
"Do not offer me peace!" Rin snapped. "Why did you let Yue Ming escape? Why did you allow him to walk away?"
Jinoku raised an eyebrow. "So, it seems I have spies in my kingdom reporting to you."
Rin slammed his fist onto the table, shouting, "Answer the question!"
"He escaped me," Jinoku replied indifferently. "That is all."
Rin stood up, trembling with indignation. "Why are you lying? You let him leave by your own choice!"
"Because I wanted to," Jinoku countered. "You will not control me, you fool. If you thought otherwise, you were mistaken."
Enraged, Rin struck the table again. "You are violating the laws and our ancient treaties!"
"And I am severing this alliance, you bastard!" Jinoku declared.
Rin was stunned. "Is that so?!"
"Yes, you damn fool!"
Rin tried to belittle him, sneering, "Your military is weak. You lack the power to defy me."
Jinoku smirked. "Perhaps. But remember, most of the Seven Emperors currently reside within my borders."
Rin hesitated, weighing the risk. "I will not gamble on a war with you now... Get out of my hall immediately!"
Suddenly, the doors swung open and Nao entered. He calmly raised his rifle and aimed it directly at Rin's head.
Rin laughed mockingly. "Do you intend to threaten me with these weak soldiers?"
"This 'weak soldier'," Jinoku said in a low, resonant voice, "is the brother of the Ice Emperor."
Rin's laughter died instantly. His face turned pale with terror, frozen by the weight of Jinoku's words.
"Lower your weapon, Nao," Jinoku ordered.
Nao obeyed. Jinoku rose with dignity and walked out of the hall toward his carriage to return to his kingdom. Behind him, Rin muttered to himself, "I must find another kingdom to bring under my absolute control."
Somewhere in the Depths
In a dark, underground hideout belonging to a group known as "The Seven Heads of Light," the leader and his deputy sat around a small table lit by a single, flickering candle.
"I have grim news, my lord," Zetsu said, his voice laced with anxiety.
"What is it?" Mugen, the leader, asked.
"The members of the 'Seven Sins' are all dead," Zetsu revealed.
Mugen gasped in shock. "What? How is that possible?!"
"Yue Ming killed them," Zetsu replied. "He is far too powerful."
"I will kill him easily!" Mugen boasted.
Zetsu shook his head. "We cannot face him right now. He is terrifyingly strong—and immortal. He killed the Seven Sins with absolute force. From his 'Sloth' ability, a horrific 'Cursed Void' emerged that annihilated everything."
Mugen conceded reluctantly. "Your judgment is sound. I have a mission for you: gather precise intelligence on the Kingdom of Light."
"Understood, my lord!" Zetsu saluted before departing.
Left alone, Mugen brooded over Yue Ming's overwhelming power. "How do we kill a monster of that caliber? I cannot dwell on this now."
He stepped outside to clear his head. As he gazed at the moon, he spotted a figure in the distance running in terror from a massive, spider-like beast.
Mugen watched with cold indifference. "What an unlucky soul," he remarked.
He turned away and returned to his quarters to sleep, unconcerned with the tragedy unfolding outside.