Klaus wasn't quite ready to meet Nephis.
It wasn't like she was fully awake anyway, so he let Cassie go in to see her—sleeping peacefully in bed, surrounded by doctors.
Meanwhile, Klaus wandered through the academy's halls with a tired sigh.
I'm such a coward… he thought with a grimace.
But then he paused, narrowing his eye.
Up ahead, Sunny and Effie were sitting together, deep in conversation. From the bits he caught, they were talking about… power?
Seriously?
He scoffed in disbelief.
Why the hell do they need a philosophical conversation about power when a living, breathing representation of true, overwhelming strength is standing right behind them?
Obviously, Klaus was thinking about himself. And sure—it was arrogant.
But it wasn't wrong.
He'd been dominating since his very first Nightmare. He was the strongest as a Dormant, the strongest as an Awakened… and now, as an Ascended, that title hadn't left him.
He watched them curiously for a moment, then approached with a cheerful grin.
"Well, well, well… what a surprise to see you two here. How's it going?"
Effie glanced up at him, mid-bite into a slice of cake, and grinned.
"Hey, Smiling Creep! Still trolling people?"
Klaus's smile twitched, becoming slightly strained. He clenched his fist in silent irritation.
Why is everyone calling me that?!
He sighed, about to fire back something sharp, when Effie's eyes suddenly widened.
"Woah! When did you get that scar? Ugh, that's almost a crime against your pretty face!"
Sunny turned as well, his expression shifting into mild surprise—and a bit of unease. That scar was deep, brutal. He couldn't help but wonder who—or what—was powerful enough to leave that kind of mark on Klaus. A shiver ran down his spine.
Klaus, meanwhile, sat down beside them with a faint, almost indifferent smile.
"It's nothing," he said calmly. "A very nasty woman made me slash my own face… and then, because that wasn't enough, she decided to rip some of the flesh off for good measure."
Their eyes widened for a moment, but then they composed themselves, choosing not to ask further.
Klaus casually waved a hand, and a bottle of orange juice floated out from the vending machine nearby. It glided into his grasp, and he took a sip before speaking—more to the air than to anyone in particular.
"Well, I overheard your conversation… so what's up with all this talk about power?"
Sunny remained silent, his expression darkening.
"It's none of your business."
Klaus shrugged, then casually threw an arm around Sunny's shoulder, pulling him close despite the boy's obvious scowl.
"That might be true, but I like to think of myself as a wise guy. Maybe I can help resolve those conflicted emotions of yours, hmm?"
Effie laughed, leaning back with a contented sigh as she finished her cake.
"Meh, it's just doofus sulking. His best friend came back, and he's not exactly thrilled about it. And now he's saying he challenged the Second Nightmare just so he could become stronger than Nephis."
Klaus nodded thoughtfully. Effie clearly didn't know the full story—about Sunny's situation, or the fact that he was bound to Nephis through that cursed Ability...
Shadow Bond. What a nasty piece of work.
He didn't know exactly why his sister would do something like that to her friend, but he trusted she had her reasons.
Obviously, Klaus would take her side.
Still, Klaus pitied Sunny. As much as the boy was an annoying little gremlin, Klaus couldn't deny he understood his situation—perhaps better than Sunny realized.
"Alright," Klaus said, eyes narrowing slightly. "Spit it out. What is it? And don't twist the truth—I know about your Flaw."
Sunny glanced at him, masking his shock the best he could.
He didn't know… did he?
Okay, maybe it wasn't that hard to guess. He always told the truth, after all. But still—was it that obvious? Or had Klaus observed Kai and figured it out? Or maybe… maybe it was something else entirely.
Sunny wasn't foolish enough to underestimate Klaus's methods. That man was devious, relentless—he'd do all kinds of diabolical things to achieve his goals. He might've even made a deal with Mordret to dig up information on him…
No, Sunny thought. No way. Those two hate each other. Mordret wouldn't give that kind of knowledge to just anyone.
What Sunny didn't know was that Mordret hadn't had a choice when he gave that information to Klaus.
Lowering his eyes, Sunny hesitated. But the pain from his Flaw was becoming unbearable—like a burning chain around his throat, demanding release. It forced the words out of him.
"It's just…" he muttered, voice barely above a whisper. "Stronger. I wanted to be stronger than her. I really, really tried."
He looked away, jaw clenched.
"And to be honest… I'm very annoyed that all of it was for nothing."
Klaus nodded, knowing he was meaning the fact that Nephis become ascended.
Effie lingered for a bit, then slowly shook her head.
"Listen, Sunny. I am really sorry to say this… but you will never be stronger than Nephis."
He looked at her sharply, sparks of anger igniting in his eyes:
"Oh yeah? Why is that?"
She sighed.
"It's very simple, really. Both of you are exceptional, talented, and have great will. Both of you are incredibly strong. But, Sunny… it doesn't matter how fast you gain a new Rank, how many Nightmare Creatures you kill, how many soul fragments you absorb. She will always be ahead."
She looked him in the eyes and said soberly:
"It's because she has something that you lack. Nephis, she has... conviction, Sunny. And you don't. As long as that doesn't change, you will always be behind."
Sunny stared at the Huntress with clear resentment, his jaw clenched tightly. But before he could speak, Klaus's voice cut through the air.
"What kind of bullshit are you talking about, retard?"
Effie blinked, caught off guard. She raised an eyebrow at him.
"Huh? Didn't you hear what I—"
But Klaus interrupted her sharply, his voice laced with both wicked amusement and that cold, burning ambition—the kind that only came from someone who wanted to stand above everything and everyone, laughing down at the world.
"I did. And I said it's bullshit."
He leaned back, eyes gleaming with something dark.
"Conviction, you say? That doesn't matter. It never mattered. Plenty of people had great convictions—people stronger than me, people who lived with honor, pride, purpose."
He smiled, cruel and victorious.
"And yet… I killed them all."
His gaze swept over them, daring anyone to challenge the weight of that truth.
"Where are they now, huh? Where are their convictions?"
Sunny's eyes widened, but he said nothing. Internally, though, he was cursing himself for listening to Effie.
Why the hell should I be listening to her, he thought bitterly, when the strongest person I've ever known is sitting right next to me, casually sipping juice?
Effie laughed, leaning back and crossing her arms with a smug grin.
"You don't know Nephis, do you? When it comes to her, the impossible becomes possible, Smiling Creep."
Sunny clenched his teeth at that, a familiar feeling of inferiority rising in his chest. He said nothing—just sat there, silent, stewing in it.
Meanwhile, Klaus leaned back in his chair, propped his legs up on the table, and flashed his usual arrogant grin.
"You don't know me, Effie. That much is obvious."
He tilted his head slightly, voice smooth and sharp like a blade.
"Yes, you've seen a fraction of my power… and yet, you still live under the delusion that anyone—anyone—could be more powerful than me."
His eyes gleamed with that twisted, magnetic ambition.
"I'm the one who makes the impossible possible. I don't need fate. I don't need a cohort. I don't need anyone to accomplish my goals."
Effie shut her mouth, the grin vanishing from her face.
She remembered.
She remembered how Klaus had killed Cormac. How he had defeated both Mordret and Sunny. How he killed the Sun Prince, slaughtered thousands of warriors, and destroyed an entire island… all while he was merely an Awakened.
It was easy to forget—because of his idiotic behavior, his constant teasing and ridiculous arrogance—but Klaus was a monster.
And the worst part?
It hadn't been luck.
It hadn't been desperation.
Every one of his actions had been calculated. Every risk he took—he knew what he was doing. He chose it.
A cold shiver ran down her spine as her thoughts spiraled deeper.
Klaus under Hope's corrupted influence…
That wasn't just dangerous. That was horrifying.
He had been deranged. Mad. Unhinged in every sense of the word—yet still terrifyingly in control.
Sunny glanced at Effie, then at Klaus. His thoughts were a little tangled, conflicted. After a moment of silence, he asked quietly, with genuine curiosity:
"And… what does matter, then? How can I be stronger than someone who has conviction—when I don't?"
Klaus sighed, pulling out a cigarette. He lit it with a flick of his finger, letting the smoke drift lazily toward the ceiling. A crooked, almost amused smile played on his lips… though with that scar cutting across his face, the expression felt more disturbing than charming.
"Nothing matters, buddy."
He spoke casually, but there was a cold edge behind the humor.
"Forget about others. Focus on yourself. If you're always comparing your path to someone else's, it'll poison your mindset."
He exhaled slowly, watching the smoke twist in the air like ghosts of half-formed thoughts.
"So trust me when I say this: it doesn't matter whether someone is stronger than you, or whether they have conviction, or purpose, or any other philosophical bullshit people like to pretend gives them strength."
He looked at Sunny, grin fading slightly.
"Only thing that matters is how far you're willing to go."
Sunny paused, a bit confused by Klaus's words.
"Uhm… can you explain it so I can actually understand?"
Klaus grinned, exhaling a slow stream of smoke that twisted into perfect rings.
"Well, of course. But first, answer me this…" He tilted his head. "Why do you think I'm strong?"
Sunny frowned, caught off guard by the question. He didn't know how to answer.
And now that he thought about it… he'd never really compared himself to Klaus. Not the way he did to Nephis or Mordret. And it wasn't because Klaus was weaker—far from it. It was because Klaus felt so overwhelmingly powerful that even trying to measure himself against him felt… meaningless.
"I… don't know," Sunny admitted quietly.
Klaus chuckled, touching the edge of his scar. His eyes were burning—with hunger, with ambition, with something that felt bottomless.
"Because I never gave a damn about anyone else's strength."
His voice dropped a little, turning darker, more intense.
"All I ever wanted… was to become the strongest. That was it."
"I trained. I killed. I stole, deceived—did all kinds of horrible shit just to claw my way forward. Most of my life—hell, maybe all of it—was given to power."
He leaned forward, eyes locking with Sunny's.
"Power is power, buddy. As simple as that. I don't really care about anything else. I'm just having fun—and getting stronger for the love of the game."
"So stop thinking about all this philosophical crap. Conviction, purpose, morality—leave that behind."
"Focus. On. Power."
"Trust me—power will never betray you."
Sunny remained silent.
In a strange way… it kind of made sense.
Why waste time thinking about things that didn't matter—things he couldn't change—when he could just focus on becoming stronger? If he ignored everything else and kept his eyes on power, then eventually, inevitably, he would become powerful.
But he wasn't Klaus. He couldn't just start wars or throw himself into death-defying battles for the sake of growth. He wasn't that reckless… or maybe he just didn't have the stomach for it.
Still, Klaus's words gave him a strange sense of clarity. A direction.
Sunny also knew that Klaus had figured it out—his Aspect's rank. He knew Sunny was a Divine Shadow. He hadn't said it outright in the academy hall, but he'd hinted enough. That he had the same potential as Nephis. That he just needed to dig it out and use it.
Sunny glanced at Klaus, at that idiotic smile plastered across his scarred face. And for a moment, despite all the chaos Klaus had caused, Sunny couldn't help but feel something close to admiration.
It was like watching some kind of invincible king marching from one conquest to the next, laughing as the world burned behind him.
He hesitated. Then muttered, almost reluctantly—but with a trace of sincerity:
"Thanks... I think I can work with that."
Klaus blinked in surprise. "Wait, so you're not mad anymore that I kicked your ass?"
Sunny's smile froze. His fists clenched, and he scowled—wanting to hurl a curse at him. But his Flaw stopped him. He couldn't lie. So he looked down and muttered bitterly:
"…Yeah. I guess."