"The Pale Disaster…" Klein frowned. Though he hadn't lived through it, historical records alone painted a grim picture of its devastation.
Will, recalling something, shook his head. "Honestly, I never thought Death would dare go that far. He really wasn't afraid…"
As a Sequence 1 and a veteran from the Third Epoch, Will knew many secrets, including those tied to the Great Old Ones and Pillars. He understood that Darkness, Death, Warrior, plus the Hunter and Demoness Pathways, along with their corresponding Sefirot, could form the Fourth Pillar. Unlike the other three, this Pillar's emergence would spell the universe's end.
Though Death was far from synthesizing the Fourth Pillar back then, he wasn't that far off. With Hunter and Demoness secured, and the River of Eternal Darkness in hand, if he'd conquered the Northern Continent and eliminated the Evernight Goddess and God of Combat, who knows if he'd have gone mad enough to try.
"Hardly surprising. If he dared ally with that lunatic Primordial Demoness, what wouldn't he do?" Alaric said with a smile, glancing at Medici with a soft sigh.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Medici narrowed his eyes.
"Just that, compared to other Red Priest uniqueness holders, you're remarkably normal, Red." Alaric said earnestly. "Sometimes, I think you'd make a better warrior."
Alaric meant it. Though Medici was a natural at snark, it wasn't rare for Hunter talents to shine in other Pathways... Medici fit that mold perfectly. And while he was adept at schemes, in some ways, he was too upright. He lacked the erratic brilliance of Cheek, Tudor, or even Death's mad antics.
"Hmm, isn't this just Red meeting a prodigy he can't outmatch despite his best efforts…?" Alaric mused silently.
"Hah? I'm not suited, but you are?" Medici shot back, bristling.
"Just a passing thought." Alaric said, unbothered, smiling as he turned to Azik.
Like before, Azik was lost in memories, visibly wrestling with the tug-of-war between humanity and divinity.
Alaric observed, confirming Azik was stable, then noticed the Death Consul's hesitant expression. Smiling, he asked, "What's up, Azik?"
"This Pale Disaster you mentioned... is that what Father's planning next?" The Death Consul asked, his gaze tinged with curiosity.
"Ah, guess we didn't fill you in. The Pale Disaster was a catastrophe your father unleashed on the Southern Continent, killing countless people and forcing the Seven Gods to unite for the first time…" Alaric smiled, giving a brief rundown of the event, concluding, "It ended with Death's fall. That's likely when your father split your soul, starting your endless cycle of reincarnation."
The Death Consul froze, processing Alaric's words. After a moment, he said sincerely, "It sounds terrible, but I'm sorry... I haven't learned pity yet. I can't feel sad for them."
The modern Azik would feel guilt and pain over the Pale Disaster, but the Death Consul hadn't mastered those emotions. His human side, suppressed too long under a neglectful father, was still lacking. Even with Alaric's mask granting a flicker of love, he was far from a normal person's emotional range.
"No need to apologize. No one expects a puppet to feel too much. Recognizing it's bad is enough." Alaric said, shaking his head. He wouldn't demand more from a puppet just beginning to find itself.
As a mini Nyarlathotep, Alaric knew better than anyone how arduous and slow the journey was from hollow puppet to human emotions.
The Death Consul pressed his lips together, thinking for a few seconds before asking, "Is there anything I can do?"
Alaric blinked, slightly surprised. "Why ask?"
"I don't understand much, and I can't feel anything about this coming disaster, but…" The Death Consul paused, glancing at Klein, then scanning the room before settling on Alaric. "You don't like it."
He added earnestly, "Friends help each other, so I should help you."
Alaric raised an eyebrow, chuckling. "What, everyone in this room's your friend now? You just met them!"
"You're my friend, and they're your friends, so they're mine." The Death Consul said seriously, glancing at Azik. "And they're his friends, so they're mine too."
Alaric let out a laugh, clearly pleased. He murmured, almost wistfully, "You're learning faster than I did back then…"
The Death Consul looked at him, puzzled.
"But on this matter, you probably can't help much." Alaric said, shaking his head. Beyond the difficulty of altering key historical events, a Sequence 2 like the Death Consul could hardly act under the noses of Sequence 0s like Death and the Primordial Demoness. If it were that easy, the Seven Gods wouldn't have needed to unite.
Worse, if Death noticed anything amiss, a Sequence 2 like the Death Consul would face severe consequences... punishment, perhaps a brutal beating, or confinement in a dark cell. Those weren't critical historical nodes; they could happen without issue.
The Death Consul looked disappointed.
Seeing this, Alaric thought for a moment, then said, "While you can't help with that, there's something related where you might be useful."
"What is it?" The Death Consul perked up instantly.
"Can you sense where your other half is in this era, besides Azik?" Alaric asked, smiling.
***
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