Birds with chains wrapped around their necks and the eyes of a snake flew high in the sky, glancing at their reflections in the Shardspire while their cries bounced back to them.

Inside the Shardspire was a Grand Hall guarded by Shards who stood like towering statues of absolute liberty, all holding a divine weapon in their hands, but carrying no face to feel emotion.

Before the Shards was a row of elders from countless sects of Seol-Mujin, following the only path available to take, as if crossing from the queue meant war with the citizens of the Shardspire.

At the other side of the twelve-foot gate were seats arranged in perfect order of colors and ranks:

White for the Skywardens Sect.

Red for the Shard Sect.

Blue for the Cobalt Wards Sect.

Pink for the Lotus Maw Sect.

Yellow for the Zenith Sect.

Black for the Eclipse Sect.

The Monarchs of each sect sat around an endless square table, the Overlords sat behind them, and finally they were followed by the Lords, the lesser ones of Seol-Mujin.

As soon as the Faceless Monarch and his individual representatives entered, a suffocating silence flew into the air like a two-edged sword glowing with fire.

’He’s finally here!’ Hayes said in his head while a wide smile slowly appeared on his face. He followed the Faceless Monarch with his gaze until he saw him take his seat among the Monarchs.

Lord Luo Fang turned and glanced at Hayes in the Cobalt Wards Sect, then smiled once.

For hours, only the Monarchs talked, addressing all forces that had been growing outside their laws, including the Mature Syrs that had left Tartarus to their younglings to rule.

The moment the Monarchs shifted the topic to the humans with great power that they can’t control, Lord Luo Fang clenched his right arm into a fist, then screamed in his head, ’YES!’

The Faceless Monarch turned and looked at the Lord section of the Skywardens, then shook his head once before shifting it back to the table.

Just as the Eclipse Sect Monarch began, the Faceless Monarch raised his right hand. "Let’s start with Leon Storm, the son of the Destroyer."

Every face in the Hall turned still for a moment until the Lotus Maw Sect Monarch, Sola, stood up and smiled.

"Wow, so he still has someone to follow his steps," Sola said, then turned to her sect with a smile on her face.

Just as she took back her seat, she crossed her hairy, human legs and licked her lips with her snake tongue. ’Interesting.’

When they began talking deeply on Leon’s Solar power, a screen appeared before the monarchs, showing everyone in the hall the two incidents where Leon had showcased it.

Sola shook her head and laughed looking at the first sequence at the 11th Alchemania, but blinked twice when she saw that of the Death Pit.

’How was he able to master it within this short period?’ she said in her head and threw still glances at the Monarchs, then slammed her three-fingered arms on the table. "We need to wipe him out before—"

"We are not done, Sola!" the Faceless Monarch said in a loud voice that made the Lotus Maw Monarch’s expression wither. Behind the Monarchs, all the Overlords and the Lords bowed their heads, pressing their ears hard.

"Fine," Sola said as she adjusted herself, then inhaled once. "Who and who are next?"

...

A deep silence ruled when every person or individual they needed to talk about had been mentioned.

When the order was thrown to the Overlords and Lords for their observations also, Hayes stood up and wiggled at Lord Luo Fang. "Monarchs above all will of time, Overlords that channel life itself, and Lords of peace, I, Hayes, Lord of the Cobalt Wards Sect, have a plea I would like to make."

He leaped into the air and flew toward the table of Monarchs, then placed his left arm on his stomach, then bowed in a rigid style of military greeting.

"With respect to your decisions which are final when made," he said with a smile on his face, "I’m not saying you should go my way, but I think it would be best if we listen to Sola, Monarch of the Lotus Maw Sect, and erase Leon Storm from existence."

"And who are you for us to listen to, Hayes?" the Faceless Monarch said and turned his head toward Hayes’s direction.

Hayes bowed his head down, then stretched his right arm forward. "I’m nobody, Monarch of the Shards, but I know what it’s like to feel the aftermath of the Solar power Leon Storm carries."

’Interesting,’ the Faceless Monarch said in his head, then leaned back into his seat. "Continue."

"Before I start with what I know of the kid’s power, I would like everyone here to know how fierce the power can be if not erased," Hayes said and slowly removed his left arm from his back, then moved his sleeve off. "This is why I want him to be erased."

The Monarchs sat there with no emotion seeing the skeletal arm of the Cobalt sect, but the Overlords and the Lords of their sects placed a hand on their mouths.

"As we all know, the Cobalt Sect’s body can withstand any power, but I lost the beauty of my arm when I came in direct contact with the Solar power of Leon Storm, which is even lower than the point The Destroyer carried."

Sola looked at the unemotional Monarchs, then slammed her palm on the table. "That really needs to be erased."

She raised her arm, then smiled when the Eclipse Monarch threw a sharp glance at her. "What? I’m just making sure justice is served to the person that deserves it."

She leaned back into her seat, then folded her arms at her chest, while a grim grin slowly took shape on her face. ’I know it’s nothing for a mere lord to get a part of his body destroyed, lol. But I can’t sit and watch the Destroyer’s family live for a single day, unless they go down like he did to mine.’

"This is the little I can say," Hayes said and bowed. "Your decisions are right."

As soon as Hayes moved back to his seat among the lords, Luo Fang also stood up. "I also have a plea to make."

’Just like I imagined it would happen,’ the Faceless Monarch said in his head, then shook his head once.