Chapter 1264 Prelude To Amalgamation [Pt 2]  

This had always been the plan from the start.

While Legris was distracting everyone, he would sneak in his two allies into the Constellation Realm and make them steal the energy for him.

'I had to blend them in with their surroundings, so I mimicked the effects of [The Tower] Arcana and tweaked some aspects of it to make the Spell [Nowhere].' Legris smiled to himself.

Using that, he was able to mask the presence of his T?? allies, making it so that they would go largely unnoticed.

However, it was still possible for them to be detected—especially by troublesome Constellations like Aquarius.

That was where he came in.

By causing so much chaos that could not go unnoticed, he diverted all attention to him, and all the panicking Constellations were too bothered about trying to stop him and protecting their wards that they failed to notice Stefan and Ciel.

As a result, they were able to obtain as much energy as he wanted them to.

All without any interference.

'And now, with both of them farming enough energy for me, I can finally begin [Amalgamation].'

Having allies made all of this possible, and he could now see the appeal of strong individuals like Neron and Jared sharing bonds with those much weaker than them.

'I couldn't have pulled this off without them.'

Then, there was one final thing that tugged at him at the edge of his mind.

Something he would have left there if not for Ciel opening her lips to ask him.

"What of Jared Leonard? Was he among the ones you were able to kill?"

That name made him twitch a little, but Legris only chuckled in response to the silly question he was asked.

"Of course not. I was only able to kill fodder. I didn't even encounter Jared… thankfully."

With how much trouble everyone gave him, he could only guess how far Jared would have pushed him if he was present.

"Oh? Where was he?" Ciel asked.

"He probably went into seclusion. Knowing his personality, he's currently developing a method to eliminate me for good. That was both the worst case and best case scenario."

"What do you mean by that?" This time, it was Stefan who spoke. "If we hadn't taken the risk that we had, then Jared's decision to go into seclusion would have been the worst case scenario. He would have probably been able to succeed and corner us before we gathered sufficient energy, thus ending this whole thing in his victory."

That was checkmate.

Fortunately, he and his allies decided to take the far riskier option.

"Now that we have all we need, and Jared is still working with the previous time frame in mind, we have the advantage. In essence, while he is stuck training, we can advance our agenda." Legris smiled.

"Hence… the best case scenario."

It was almost hilarious how their chances of success or failure hinged on a 50-50 possibility.

"Fortunately, we are on the winning end."

Ciel gave a wide grin, while Stefan's expression remained constant.

"So, what do we have to while you commence this [Amalgamtion]?" The white maiden asked in excitement.

Out of the trio, she seemed to be the most energetic.

Her desires would soon be fulfilled, after all.

"Ahh, yes! This is the most sensitive part of the plan, so we have to be the most cautious and proactive at this juncture."

The smile on Legris' face soon faded away, replaced by an expression of sheer seriousness.

"[Amalgamation] has to occur in some form of reality, which means I can't do it here, where it's safe."

The reasons were difficult to explain to his allies, but Legris understood his powers and the process more than anyone else.

'Everything here will be absorbed, so it's impossible for me to begin it in this place.'

"I'll be at my most vulnerable once [Amalgamation] commendes, and since I'll be in reality, it means I can be attacked by Jared's allies." He said in a sigh.

This was perhaps the weakest link in his plan.

'Being in a state where I am unable to act is certainly the worst. However…'

"You'll have to defend my chrysalis while I am undergoing my evolution." Legris stared at the two before him.

This was the part where they shined the brightest.

'There's no escaping or circumventing this process. This is the major reason why I needed powerful allies, to begin with.'

Without them, everything he had built this far would fall apart.

"Understood." Stefan nodded firmly.

"Can we take them all, though? You said they've all gotten stronger." Ciel asked. As her valid question reverberated across the dark world, Legris gave a small smile.

"It won't be easy. But, don't worry. You'll have help."

As Legris said this, silhouettes began to emerge from the pitch black ground behind Ciel and Stefan.

This caused the two to swiftly react and face the apparitions that suddenly manifested.

"These will be your colleagues…" Legris' voice echoed as the two witnessed the entities born from darkness, and how they slowly approached.

They were all familiar faces.

"Gerard. Z'ark. Hero Zephyr… and the other strong foes we have encountered during our journey together." Legris declared.

These beings barely resembled their previous forms. They were all corrupted by darkness, pale and blackened by Legris' dark power.

"All nine of them will support you. That makes ten who will serve as my guards while I undergo [Amalgamation]."

Something about the math didn't add up, so Stefan brought it up almost instantly.

"Shouldn't that be eleven?"

"No. A total of ten is fine. I have a different task for you, Stefan." Legris smiled at the young man before him.

"Do you not trust me to guard you?" Stefan asked, narrowing his gaze slightly.

"That's not it. Haha!"

As Legris chuckled at Stefan's question, tense silence filled the room.

"Your task is just as important. Think of it as collateral… a contingency, if you will."

After a brief period of saying nothing, Stefan finally nodded in agreement.

"Okay."

"Perfect!" Legris beamed in relief and satisfaction.

With all his cards present, and his plan aligning to the perfect point, it was finally time to initiate his final phase.

"Let it begin."

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[A/N]

Thanks for reading, everyone!

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