Past the horizon, several tall pillars were erected.

Like columns holding up the top of a building that didn’t exist, they towered over the surroundings, looming as high as the walls of the core ring.

Beneath them, illusions swarmed, pushing each other downward, eagerly racing to reach the very top.

"Up there." Ember exclaimed, steering her handlebars in the direction of the rising plume of smoke.

"Relying on a signal to call for the others is pretty smart." Michael murmured. "Though it seems we aren’t the only ones attracted."

"It doesn’t matter!" Persephone giggled, patting the motorcycle they rode upon.

"Ember can just fly upwards and get us to the top!"

The exhausted pipe trembled.

"No, the pillars are a form of a trial." The fox explained. "The only way to the top is through climbing. Trying to skip the process would lead to harsh circumstances."

Given that Ember was the only illusion among them, the Lords didn’t argue. If she claimed that acting recklessly could cause trouble, they had no reason to doubt her words.

Accelerating the speed of the motorcycle, Michael charged with no intention of stopping.

Roar!

They were spotted in an instant. A portion of the gathered illusions focused on them, hell-bent on stopping their advancement.

However, their efforts were for naught.

Ember’s form collided with them, shattering everything along the way.

Enveloped by shattered fragments from the creatures’ cores, the squad reached the pillar in a flash.

Relying on Ember’s versatility, Michael raised the front wheel before starting to scale the structure with staggering speed.

Leaving a trail of fire, they moved upwards. The majority of the generated wind clashed against Michael’s body positioned at the front, lessening the impact the Lords behind him were subjected to.

Climbing impossibly high, their speed steadily began to dip, the gravitational pull becoming fiercer and taking its toll.

Yet Ember’s power wasn’t to be underestimated. Eventually, the wall she scaled ended, having reached the top.

Vrooom!

Shifting the two wheels sideways, Michael and the rest came to an abrupt stop.

Instantly, his eyes focused on the fire letting out the signal smoke. Next to the fireplace, two familiar figures stood.

One bore blonde hair and a golden monocle, while the other bore intense crimson eyes and hair that would make the heart of every mortal skip a beat.

"Francesca, Nicole." Michael greeted the two Supreme Lords, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders.

Considering that one answered directly to the Emperor while the other had captured his heart in his prior life, it was beyond a relief to be reunited with them.

The two women blinked slowly, startled by the sudden appearance of the squad.

"Revenant Lord Michael?" Francesca adjusted her monocle, ensuring that she wasn’t hallucinating.

"Michael? What is that thing?" Nicole was similarly surprised, though her attention snapped to the motorcycle they rode.

Instantly, she knew that the creature was an illusion, one of the numerous subjects to a Titan. Considering how many such creatures she had needed to slay of similar nature, she was in her right to be alarmed.

Before Michael could utter another word, Ember’s form morphed, turning into her fox form, though keeping her small stature in order not to cause unwanted stress.

"You may call me Ember." The fox formally introduced herself, realizing that having a label did indeed make it easier to establish communication with humans.

"It’s a long story..." Michael proceeded to explain how he and the fox had found each other after being teleported into the core ring, also mentioning their cooperation.

"What about you lot?" Persephone grinned, curious to hear about their encounter with the mimics.

Francesca raised her chin slightly. "A mere copy could have never hoped to best the original. My victory was just a matter of time."

Nicole nodded. "It was quite a struggle, but in the end, I managed to get the upper hand. After being teleported, I found Francesca, and the two of us agreed to climb one of the pillars and deploy a signal."

She paused briefly.

"It seems that the plan worked." Nicole felt an odd sense of comfort knowing that Michael was alive and well.

"So what’s so special about these pillars?" Elina tilted her head to the side, recalling that the fox had called the columns a trial of sorts.

Ember met her gaze.

"Do you remember that monster that almost ended you?" The fox said calmly. "It served the same function as the serpent in the outer ring. It’s a Guardian of sorts. In order to be granted an audience with the Almighty, we need to slay one and display its core as proof."

A frown appeared on Eliza’s peerless face, not because she was reminded of the unpleasant memory, but because she caught something implied in the fox’s statement.

"One?" Eliza’s voice was more intense than usual. "Does that mean there are more?"

Ember snorted.

"Of course." She exclaimed nonchalantly.

"Each pillar belongs to an illusion that has already proven itself to the Almighty and earned its place here. As I mentioned before, we strive either to prove ourselves or to defeat the ruler of this place. Successfully proving ourselves unlocks an evolutionary path, allowing us to serve as Guardians for the rest of time."

Yet, to have encountered the creatures themselves, Nicole, Persephone, and Francesca weren’t sure how powerful these beings were supposed to be.

However, when they noticed the trembling limbs of the sister Lords and Michael’s grim expression, they knew it wasn’t a foe to be underestimated.

"In all honesty, it’s a miracle that a Guardian has yet to locate you two." Ember’s gaze shifted to the plume of smoke rising in the air.

"We have the luxury of choice. Tell me, do we retreat, or do we wait for a Guardian to appear and challenge it to prove our worth?" The fox’s nine tails swayed gracefully. "Personally, I feel in perfect condition. If we were to initiate a fight, there wouldn’t be a better time than now."

The Lords exchanged glances, internally debating. Even if the squad wasn’t entirely united, the majority of them were here. Delaying an unavoidable clash risked them becoming exhausted due to unpredictable factors, worsening their chances in the long run.

In the end, they came to a unanimous decision. They would be facing a Guardian here.

Anticipating battle, the Lords got into formation, like hunters laying a trap for unwary prey.

Soon enough, a colossal figure emerged past the horizon, soaring toward them.

In response, Michael’s eyes began to gleam menacingly.

"It’s here."