Manus and the demoness Blanc sat still around the very same table they had their big agreement around.
It was quite a spectacle for the demons of the white lineage to see their progenitor, let alone get a glimpse of her meetings with anyone, which is what was happening now.
The demons gathered round in an audience, although it was the same balcony, its shape had changed, such are the properties of the Underworld.
Manus started off the meeting with the usual small talk these two have, that talk being the exchanging of information about both of their worlds.
-"So, Lady Blanc, last time we spoke, it was of the progenitor of yellow, Jaune, now, who will you tell me of?"
An elegantly refined response from the other party, Blanc, was issued to Manus' question.
-"Hm, I suppose it's time for the particularly important ones.
Very well, I will tell you of the secretive progenitor, the progenitor of black, Noir.
He is a creature that spreads utmost confusion amongst us progenitors.
Even I, who is one for knowledge and wisdom, could not figure out his intentions."
Manus raised an eyebrow at her words, if such a being existed, Manus had to meet them sooner or later.
Blanc continued, her tone had seemingly attained a hint of frustration as she spoke more of Noir.
"He always babbles on and on about the truth of the world. But he never explains his motives."
Her frustration was growing more and more apparent.
Manus was quite amused, not because Blanc was becoming angry, but because this "Noir" Primordial was intriguing him to the extreme.
"...Ahem..
Anyhow.
Noir is strong, freakishly so.
Even though he refuses to chase after higher power, a higher existence, he remained the only equal to the then here Red Progenitor, Rouge."
Manus was slowly learning more and more of this land, and soon enough, when Faraam returns, he will have more to learn.
He was a man of knowledge, as were the humans of his time.
"You need to know one thing."
The demonessess tone suddenly switched up to a serious yet composed one.
"I was, am and will offer hospitality to you and your companion whenever, but, the others might not be as generous.
The only one that might be remotely intrigued by you would be Noir, and even then, I am not sure.
Do not risk death, for you bring me too much enjoyment and benefit."
She announced her intentions, though Manus wasn't surprised.
He knew that nothing came free, afterall, the same "Risk of Death" was what he wrought upon his old world because people took that very same risk.
Pausing her speech, Manus finally decided to speak after a long session of listening.
-"Trust me to my word when I say that I have no plan of dying anytime soon, however..
That does not mean I will not chase after my goals.
You sort of underestimate our power, Lady Blanc."
Manus spoke with confidence, filled with conviction.
"I've survived my own share of death risks, many of them, even an apocalypse situation at one point.
And he..
He has likely seen far worse.
We are thankful, even if he doesn't show it, for your continued treatment of us as if we were long time comrades, and I do hope that treatment will continue so long our goals are crossing each other's paths.
Just be relaxed and be sure that nothing will go wrong, absolutely nothing."
-"Fufufu... You really are curious, you never crossed me as someone who has a very high self-esteem.
Very well then, I shall hold you to your word, as you implored me to.
So I take it you will venture out once he returns?"
-"Once he returns, yes.
Until then, it's my turn to share my knowledge to you, Lady Blanc."
The demoness sprung forward a little in excitement, she could finally learn even more about him, about this enigma that is Manus.
END STORY
{Section II, Unraveling the World}
Harsh harsh winds, glacial, so much so a simple touch would cause death by chill.
An environment like no other, an environment that should not be to begin with.
Some would call such an ecosystem the wrath of nature, others would theorize its origin.
The truth, however, was simple:
The Ice Continent is what it is due to a dragon not liking the weather not being cold.
That's it.
Even with all of that, a man wanders the continent, uncaring of the fact that he was being watched as he was moving.
A simple red robe, and a broken sword, telling of many, many stories. That was what the man had through his treacherous journey.
He was formerly the Slave Knight Gael, the last of the his old world, well, other than a Certain Someone.
He was at the crumbling of civilization, he was the crumbling of civilization. After all, he was the one who held the Dark Soul at its entirety, or, almost.
Waking up in the middle of the damning frozen hell, Gael shot straight back up to his former goal.
Because, on the edge of his death, he believed deep down that he would rise again to collect the Dark Soul once more, and his wish was granted.
A long, long marathon of endurance later, Gael found his current "Target", a frozen-over castle, to many it may seem beautiful, to him, it brought ugly memories of a specific place of his old world.
That place was the symbol of tyranny, the symbol of evil.
Gael shook his head to forget such stress-inducing memories, and then he walked another step right as he was suddenly interrupted by a green-haired maid.
-"Who, how, what are you?"
-"Easy on him Mizery! I bet his brain's already frozen over! Don't make it overload anymore!"
The green-haired one, Mizery, sighed, and then turned to the newly-arrived blue-haired maid.
-"Remind me which one of us keeps things in order again?"
-"Uh-"
-"That's what I thought."
The green-haired one then continued looking at the red-robed man, and waited for an answer.
His voice was tough and his face was ragged, but, his stature was quite pronounced after he stood up full height.
-"I.. I am Gael.
The destined gatherer of the.. Dark Soul..
May you be the ones who heeded my wish..? My simple.. Final wish?"
-"Huh? What? Mizery? What?"
-"Raine, silence."
-"So, am I correct in my assumptions?"
-"...Yes, you are, do come with, I sense a great potential within thee.."
-"What's up with th- OUCH!"
-"Sh!"
Gael followed the two who began to head inside, he obviously wasn't so dumb as to actually believe they were the ones who summoned him acting so foolish.
He just wanted to trick them using his wits to get inside the castle.
-"Wait here, on this seat, I shall bring you my Master who summoned you.
Come, Raine, we have much to do."
The other seemed to have become an example maid in a second.
-"Indeed we do, dear Mizery, I shall call Lady Velzard, you call Master Guy."
The green-hair seemed startled but adapted and moved on immediately.
-"So you say you're from another word, huh?"
The white-haired teenager questioned Gael, whilst looking at an older-looking red-haired man.
-"If that's the case then.. I have an offer for you."
Mizery and Raine stared at the stranger very worriedly, thinking he'll flip out because they lied to him, but, he didn't care, he didn't even mention it.
-"Go on."
Gael prompted them to speak.
Guy showed him something, someone, that someone instantly clicked in Gael's mind.
-"That.. That's..!"
-"Oho! So you do know each other, fantastic.
I need you, I need your watch.
I need you to keep him in check, kill him in due time if you want.
How about that?"
Gael thought for a little bit, but then immediately agreed.
-"So it shall be..."
-"Good, good.
You will have whatever you want, anything, name it, just as long as you keep him in check, and... A few others."
-"I don't need your spoils, and, who are these others..
Wait.. You cannot be speaking of..?"
-"Possibly, we'll get to that later, now, off you go!"
And in that moment, Gael found himself thrown in a large, large forest.
The time was now, for the first major battle.
FARAAM VS GAEL