"Yeah... it’s hard," Razeal said with a small, almost careless shrug, as if he were talking about a difficult task rather than sothing that bordered on impossible, his tone calm but carrying a quiet certainty..
"But it can work." He leaned back slightly, his gaze drifting for a brief mont before returning to them, "Its just not going to be easy."
"Because the gods won’t let it be easy they will
Definitely interfere." He tilted his head faintly,
"Again and again." His lips curved into a faint, dry smile..
"They keep pushing into that role... making sure I stay the ’villain’..." His eyes darkened subtly, "No matter the cost." The casual way he said it made it worse, not better. "So yeah that’s why ill have to be prepared."
Maria blinked, processing that slowly, and then nodded faintly as realization began to form, "Wait so that’s why you have to fight gods," she said quietly, almost to herself, as the pieces finally started connecting in her head.
Razeal gave a small nod, but imdiately corrected her, "Not just gods actually ." His tone remained steady..
"Anyone who gets in the way." He spread his hands slightly, "And it won’t just be direct obstacles either."
"There will be problems... constantly." A small exhale left him, "Things just appearing out of nowhere... situations twisting... people turning..." He shook his head faintly.
"Thats just how this works." His expression flattened slightly, "This cosmic order... these laws... and all"
"They just a pain in the ass." He gestured around vaguely..
"Like look at all of this... does any of it make sense?" he spreading his hands like as if saying just look at
Silence followed that question. Because it really didn’t.
And now Maria and Sofia could finally feel the full weight of it. Not just the danger. Not just the scale. But how unfair it all was. How rigged. How suffocating.
Maria inhaled sharply, her mind racing, trying to find sothing anything that could be controlled, sothing that could be fixed imdiately, sothing practical, sothing real.
"Wait wait," she said suddenly, stepping forward as if a solution had just clicked into place, her tone urgent now, almost rushed..
"We’re doing this wrong then." Her eyes lit up slightly, not with relief, but with determination..
"The first thing we should do... is fix your image directly.. Right?" She nodded quickly, convincing herself as she spoke, "Then shouldn’t we go to Selena and Celestia..." Her voice hardened slightly.
"And we make them admit the truth." She took another step, already half turning toward the exit, "sohow force them to confess that they lied about you."
"We clear your na in front of everyone." Her eyes sharpened, "Because if we don’t do that first.. this whole plan becos impossible." And she was already moving. Almost leaving. Almost acting on it imdiately.
"No." Razeal’s voice cut through sharply not loud, but firm enough to stop her mid-step.
Maria froze, turning back toward him instantly, her expression tightening.. "but.. why?" Her voice carried frustration now.. "You just said your image is the key."
Sofia stepped in as well, her brows furrowing as she looked at him seriously, "Shes right." Her tone was firm, no hesitation.. "This is not the ti to hold back." She stepped closer, "We need to do this now." Her eyes narrowed slightly, "Whatever you feel about them... it doesn’t matter."
"This is necessary." Both of them were aligned now. Ready to act.
And Razeal... just looked at them. Then slowly shook his head. "Dont." His tone wasn’t harsh but it was absolute. "It’s already done."
He let out a small sigh, rolling his eyes faintly as if this part was already settled in his mind, "Selena will confess." he said
And that made Maria stop completely. "what?" she asked, turning back fully now, her confusion returning.. "What do you an?"
Razeal just nodded slightly, shrugging again.
Sofia stepped forward slightly, her gaze sharpening, "...you’re sure?" Her tone carried both skepticism and curiosity now.
Maria moved back closer too, standing beside Sofia as she looked at him intently, "Why would she do that?" Her brows furrowed, "...did you do sothing?"
Razeal t her eyes, pausing for just a second just enough to make it seem like there might be sothing behind it and then he said simply, "No."
"Then how?" Sofia asked imdiately, her voice more focused now.
Razeal’s expression didn’t change. "I just know."
Silence. Both Maria and Sofia stared at him, then briefly at each other, their confusion deepening instead of clearing, because that answer didn’t explain anything it only made things more unsettling.
Maria’s thoughts spiraled slightly, trying to make sense of it, What does he an he just knows? How can he be so sure? Her expression tightened faintly.
Razeal, however, didn’t elaborate. "...she will," he said calmly, as if it was already decided, already written sowhere beyond their understanding, "And even if she doesn’t..."
"it won’t change anything."
And that made both of them go still again. "...what do you an?" Maria asked quietly, her voice slower now, more cautious amd confused.
Razeal looked at them both, his expression calm but there was sothing heavier behind it now. "...no one will believe ." The words were simple. Flat. "like even if she confesses people will say she was pressured."
"That she was forced to say it." He looked away for a brief mont, then back again.
"And even if they accept it... that won’t change how they see they’ll still stay on their side."
"Or maybe just directly praise her instead? for coming forward for admitting her mistake and all?." He shook his head faintly..
"As farr as i know they’ll call it bravery... Achildish mistake sothing forgivable."
"And ?"
"I’ll still be the sa.... the one who was accused the one tied to that cri even if proven innocent."
"Because people don’t change their perception that easily." His eyes returned to them, calm but heavy. "I an... that’s just how it works."
Sofia and Maria both fell into silence after hearing Razeal’s words, and though neither of them spoke, the faint, almost reluctant nods that followed made it clear they understood, and worse, they agreed, because no matter how twisted or unfair it sounded, that was how the world worked, perception mattered more than truth, and once sothing settled into people’s minds, it didn’t matter what reality said afterward, and Maria opened her mouth, a quiet "But..." escaping her lips, her instinct still trying to push back, still trying to find sothing to argue against it, sothing that could deny the inevitability of what he was saying, but before she could continue,
Sofia gently lifted her hand and stopped her, not harshly, just enough to signal there’s no point arguing that part and then Sofia shifted her gaze back to Razeal, her expression turning more focused, more grounded despite the chaos of the situation.
"So what then?" she asked, her tone calm but firm, forcing the conversation forward, "What are we doing?" her brows furrowed slightly, "Because whatever it is... it has to be sothing massive... and it has to happen fast," her voice carried urgency now, the kind that ca from understanding just how little ti they actually had.
"We don’t have the luxury to wait... and we don’t just have to act we have to account for everything," she continued, her mind already racing through possibilities, only to shut them down one by one, "It’s not easy to make people side with you... especially when the entire world is already against you... and even worse, when the system itself is trying to paint you as the villain every single ti," she paused briefly, her eyes narrowing slightly, "It’s not just hard... it’s just impossible."
And she ant it.
Because even as she spoke, her mind was already running through examples, scenarios, outcos and none of them worked.
Five to six years... to make the entire world like him? the thought echoed in her mind, and it felt absurd even forming it, Even the Empress... the strongest being alive in world now... isn’t universally loved... people respect her... fear her... follow her... but love or in favour? That’s different... her gaze lowered slightly..
There are always conflicting beliefs, conflicting interests, conflicting ideologies it’s impossible to align all of that? and then another thought followed, darker this ti, And on top of that... there are gods beings people already worship already trust, already see as symbols of justice if they declare him wrong...? who would ever believe otherwise...? she exhaled faintly, her chest tightening, One accusation just one can destroy a person completely and staying in a good light? That’s even harder.
And her eyes flickered toward Razeal.
Because thats the truth.
He had been accused of sothing he didn’t even do.
And everything
His reputation.
His standing.
His identity.
Was erased in an instant.
Like it ant nothing.
And that just proves how fragile it is... she thought, That’s how easy it is to make people hate you...
And Maria
Maria was thinking the sa thing.
Her hands clenched slightly in her lap as her thoughts spiraled, People spend their entire lives just trying to be loved by one person... sotis even that doesn’t happen... and he’s talking about making the entire world love him? her chest tightened, While alive? While being targeted? While being manipulated against? her head lowered slightly, That’s not just hard... that’s not even realistic
And slowly
Both of them went silent.
Because every path they tried to imagine
Collapsed. Just no way out..
And just as that silence settled
Razeal spoke.
"War."
The word cut through the room.
Simple cold and Decisive.
"I’m going to war." He said sajd
Both Maria and Sofia looked up instantly.
"What?" the reaction ca from both of them almost at the sa ti, their expressions filled with shock and confusion, because out of everything they had expected this was the last thing that made sense, and Sofia stepped forward slightly, her brows knitting tightly.
"No... you’re not," she said imdiately, her tone firm, rejecting it outright, "And even if you were... how is that supposed to help in first place?" her voice sharpened, frustration slipping through.
"War doesn’t make people like you.. it does the opposite," she gestured slightly, "People hate war... it brings destruction, fear, loss... if anything, it’ll make you look worse... not better," her eyes locked onto his, "This isn’t just a bad idea.. it’s a stupid one.. Like what are you even thinking ."
Maria didn’t interrupt
But she nodded slightly in agreent.
Because it was.
At least on the surface and in sense literally.
But Razeal didn’t react to her words with irritation or defensiveness.
Instead
He just smiled.
Calmly.
Almost faintly.
"It’s actually very simple," he said, his tone steady, as if explaining sothing obvious, "People don’t support you... they don’t like you... until they see you as their own."
Sofia frowned.
Not understanding.
But Razeal continued.
"What I’m going to do... is make everyone my people," he said, his gaze steady, his voice carrying quiet certainty now, "And once that happens..." a faint pause, "...they won’t have a choice."
Maria’s breath caught slightly.
"You don’t hate your own afterall.." Razeal finished, the faint smile still on his lips. "I an will have no reason to."
Sofia opened her mouth imdiately
"No, that’s not how it works.." she began, ready to argue, ready to dismantle the logic
But then.. She stopped mid-sentence.
Because sothing suddenly clicked and her expression froze. Her pupils narrowing slightly as the aning behind his words fully settled in.
Make everyone... his people...?
Even maria seems to hear bells of danger ringing in her head..
"No... you aren’t tr...?" Sofia’s paised mid sentence again.. as if she was afraid that even saying the thought out loud might sohow confirm it into reality, her eyes locked onto Razeal’s face, searching desperately searching for even the smallest sign that this was a joke, a passing thought, sothing he himself would dismiss in the next second, but there was nothing, absolutely nothing in his expression that suggested hesitation, and that alone made sothing cold settle deep inside her chest.
Razeal, on the other hand, didn’t react imdiately, he simply leaned back into his chair with an almost relaxed motion, as if what he was about to say wasn’t sothing absurd or world-breaking, but just another casual decision, and then, with that sa faint, almost unsettling smile on his face, he spoke.. "War again whole world."
"I am going to conquer the world," and the words didn’t co out loudly, they didn’t need to, because the weight behind them was enough to make the air in the room feel heavier in an instant, as if the space itself had paused to process what had just been said.
For a mont, neither Sofia nor Maria responded, not because they didn’t want to but because they couldn’t, because the idea itself was so extre, so far beyond reason, that their minds struggled to even grasp it properly, and that silence stretched just long enough to beco suffocating before..
Sofia finally stepped forward slightly, shaking her head, her brows tightening as she tried to force logic back into the situation, "No... no, you need to calm down and think about this properly," she said, her tone firm now, grounded, trying to anchor him back to reality.
"This isn’t a good idea. Just think about it.. really think about it. Even if you sohow manage to do it... they won’t like you, they won’t support you, they’ll see you as soone insane, soone obsessed with conquest. This kind of mindset... it’s wrong... It won’t work," her voice carried urgency now, her words coming faster as she tried to dismantle the idea piece by piece.
"War always cos with a cost. Always. People suffer, people lose everything and in the end, they don’t thank the one who wins, they hate them for it. No one likes imperialism. No one.. You won’t gain loved or liked this way, you’ll only earn resentnt. This is the worst possible way to make people stand with you," and beside her..
Maria nodded imdiately also, her expression serious as she added, "She’s right... this is fundantally wrong," her voice calr but no less firm, "Let’s say you win which, honestly.. which is already sothing that sounds impossible but even if you do... what then? What’s left after that? There won’t be anyone else for people to turn their frustrations toward. You’ll beco the center of everything every problem, every failure, every suffering. People need sothing to oppose, sothing to bla. That’s how societies function," she continued, her thoughts aligning quickly now.
"People love their own because they fear others. That division those boundaries.. that’s what creates unity among them. It gives them sothing to stand against. But if you erase all of that, if you beco the only power... then you also beco the only target. There will be no one else left to hate except you," she shook her head, her voice softening slightly.
"This won’t work... we need to sit down and think of sothing better, sothing that doesn’t end like that,"
But Razeal listened to both of them without interrupting, his expression unchanged, that sa faint smile still present as if he had already considered everything they were saying, and when he finally responded, his tone was calm, almost too calm, "I know all that," he said simply, his eyes moving between them.
"But hatred only settles on one person when there’s no one else left to direct it toward," and that answer made Sofia frown imdiately, the gap in his logic or what she thought was a gap becoming even more frustrating..
"Isnt that exactly what we’re saying," she replied, her voice sharpening slightly, "If you conquer everything, then who are they supposed to fight? Who are they supposed to oppose? There won’t be anyone left. You’ll be the only one standing. So all that hate, all that frustration.. it will fall on you. How are you not seeing that?" her frustration was evident now, because from her perspective, the flaw in his plan was obvious, undeniable..
But then Razeal’s smile widened slightly, not mockingly, but in a way that suggested he had been waiting for that exact question, and when he answered, it was with a clarity that made both of them freeze..
"Heavens," he said, almost casually.
"I’ll make them hate the heavens. I’ll give them sothing greater to oppose, sothing beyond themselves... and then.." he made a small explosive gesture with his hand, mimicking a burst, "Theyll always have a reason to stand with ,"
"I am going to bring heavens down to earth."
And for a mont, the words didn’t fully register, as if their minds refused to process what he had just implied, but when they did, both Maria and Sofia’s expressions shifted instantly, their eyes widening, sothing between shock and disbelief flashing across their faces.
And Maria was the first to speak, her voice quieter now, but far more serious, "You... don’t an that you’re planning to manipulate people, do you?" she asked, her gaze locked onto him, searching for denial.
"Make them hate the heavens... create a false narrative where you position yourself as their protector? Is that what you’re thinking?"
And Razeal didn’t answer not directly but that silence, combined with the slight, knowing curve of his lips, said more than any words could, and Sofia imdiately shook her head, stepping forward again, her voice filled with urgency now..
"No. No, that’s not the right path," she said, her tone firm but shaken underneath, "Do you even realize what that ans? People will die, Razeal. Not a few.. countless. You’re talking about turning the entire world against sothing as absolute as the heavens. That kind of conflict... it won’t just be war, it’ll be destruction on a scale you can’t control," her voice faltered slightly, because even she couldn’t fully grasp the magnitude of what he was suggesting, "This is... this is too much,"
But Razeal simply looked at her, then at Maria, and spread his arms slightly as if presenting sothing obvious, sothing inevitable, and then he said it.. Finally
"For the greater good," and those four words, spoken so calmly, so matter of factly, carried a weight far heavier than anything else he had said so far, because they weren’t just justification they were conviction, and the mont they left his mouth
The atmosphere in the room shifted completely, the air turning dense, oppressive, as if sothing unseen had settled over them, and neither Maria nor Sofia spoke after that, neither of them could, because as they stood there, looking at him really looking at him
Swear suddenly apearing on their forehead as they slowly gulped
As at se ti both reached the sa realization at the exact sa ti, a thought that neither of them wanted to accept
"He’s gone... crazy."
——
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