Inside the Lightning Emperor's library, a large piece of white cloth began to shift.
The cloth moved aside, revealing a torso with a head and an arm, floating in the air.
Blood dripped from the left and bottom sides of the torso, forming a pool on the ground.
This was Shang, and he remained silent for a while, pondering what had transpired and his new condition.
The more Shang sacrificed to Entropy, the greater the impact on his Battle-Strength.
While losing his vision was a minor issue compared to losing an arm, the loss of an arm was still less significant than losing both legs.
Shang's entire battle style relied on swift forward movements, powered by his legs.
With the loss of his legs, his acceleration had likely dropped significantly.
Evading attacks would also be much more difficult.
For a Mage, losing their legs wouldn't pose a major problem. Mages typically relied on their minds and Spells for movement, as their physical speed was insufficient for combat.
And now, Shang found himself in the same position.
It was a heavy blow, indeed.
However, Shang only lamented the loss of his legs for a brief moment.
Afterward, he immediately began contemplating ways to develop his power in a manner that didn't rely on his legs.
He had done the same when he lost his left arm.
After creating his last Sword State, the loss of his left arm became inconsequential to his current Battle-Style.
While his current style was built around leg movements, Shang knew he could adapt and develop a new approach.
"You seem calmer than I expected," the Lightning Emperor remarked from behind his desk as he glanced at Shang.
Shang didn't respond immediately.
"You saved my life with your pin," Shang eventually said.
The Lightning Emperor chuckled softly. "That was the intention," he replied. "I knew it was only a matter of time before a Mage King attacked you."
Then, the Lightning Emperor's expression turned serious. "However, I didn't anticipate an altered Defender Flag."
"The Mage King claimed that it was jointly created by the three Empires," Shang replied.
The Lightning Emperor nodded. "I suspected as much. I have already ordered an inspection of all Attack and Defender Flags. It appears that two of the Defender Flags of Ancestral Mages and Archmages have been lost."
"Lost?" Shang repeated.
"Yes," the Lightning Emperor affirmed. "The Land and Sky Empire, as well as the Judgment Palace, have lost their Defender Flags."
"Presumably, they will be considered destroyed."
"In a sense, you destroyed three Defender Flags five years ago," the Lightning Emperor added.
"Five years ago?" Shang inquired.
The Lightning Emperor nodded. "Your soul suffered further injury. You have already lost almost half of your soul to Anti-Magic. Humans are not meant to survive with only 50% of their soul intact."
"The fact that you're still alive is nothing short of miraculous."
"Your soul was realigning and adapting to make it possible for you to survive with what little remains."
"That process took approximately five years."
Shang fell silent as he delved back into his thoughts.
"What are your plans?" the Lightning Emperor asked after a few seconds.
"To adapt my fighting style to accommodate my new situation," Shang explained.
Upon hearing that, a small smile appeared on the Lightning Emperor's lips.
"I'm glad you're adjusting so quickly," he said.
Shang didn't respond.
Instead, he pointed his head towards the ceiling, lost in contemplation.
The Lightning Emperor observed Shang with a raised eyebrow.
For over five minutes, Shang remained deep in thought.
"I don't want to bring about the destruction of the world," Shang suddenly declared.
The atmosphere in the room shifted at once.
"What do you mean?" the Lightning Emperor inquired, his voice carrying an undertone of apprehension and unease.
"I don't desire to bring about the end of the world," Shang reiterated. "My goal is to gain power, but what use is power if there's nothing left around me?"
"What value does power hold without a world to wield it in?"
"You trust me," Shang continued. "You have supported me."
"You have saved my life on numerous occasions."
"I sense no ill intentions coming from you."
The Lightning Emperor felt a tinge of nervousness.
"What are you talking about?" he asked.
Shang turned his head to face the Lightning Emperor. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. You are aware of my secret."
The Lightning Emperor took a deep breath.
Silence hung in the air.
"You know," Shang went on, "there was someone I once trusted with my life, but that person betrayed me and tried to kill me after learning my secret."
"You already know my secret. I'm not sure if you have truly faced that realization or not, but if you had truly intended to kill me, you would've done so already. You had all the time and opportunity in the world," Shang asserted.
In the next moment, a letter materialized in Shang's hand, and he tossed it to the Lightning Emperor.
"You know I am the Child of Calamity," Shang revealed.
The Lightning Emperor took another deep breath.
Shang was right.
The Lightning Emperor had been aware for a long time.
The moment he learned of Shang's Anti-Magic, he had suspected the truth.
Yet, he had never truly confronted it.
And then, Shang sacrificed his legs, forcing the Lightning Emperor to confront the reality.
Upon awakening, Shang had a realization.
His Spell, Humanity, was not active.
It hadn't been active during the five years he lay in the Lightning Emperor's library.
The Lightning Emperor couldn't have failed to notice that Shang was the Child of Calamity.
Despite all this, Shang was still alive.
The Lightning Emperor read through the letter from Lucius that Shang had just thrown to him, and he took another deep breath.
Lucius had also been the Child of Calamity...
Deep down, Gregorio had already suspected Lucius, but like with Shang, he had refused to face it.
"What now?" Shang asked.
The Lightning Emperor remained silent for a long while.
