This Intellitron quietly arrived behind Caenis just as her face was gradually turning pale green.
"I am incredibly honored to have witnessed the both of you bury the hatchet in a civilized manner. However, I'm afraid that I must interrupt for a brief moment..."
Lygus' voice remained rigidly polite, with an even, measured pace.
The words Caenis had been holding back in her throat were swallowed again because of Lygus.
She glanced at Anaxagoras, then forced out a gloomy smile.
"Heh… understood. Since an agreement has been reached, I hope that what was just said is the last time I hear it."
"Unless you happen to have a fondness for torture…"
This was no longer a veiled threat. It was completely out in the open.
Yet Anaxagoras's expression didn't change at all, she even smiled. "You know, that just happens to be one of my most valuable talents."
Seeing this scene, the comments erupted into mockery.
····
: She's panicking, she's panicking, she finally snapped.
: Anaxagoras really broke her defenses, huh.
: With that kind of tolerance, I really overestimated Caenis.
: Hahaha, this is great.
: That so-called threat is basically a joke.
: If the Council of Elders has people like Caenis, it's really hopeless.
: A scholar who can split their soul into multiple parts, would they even care about physical pain? What is Caenis even talking about?
: Can this idiot at least learn something about her opponent before threatening them?
...
Clearly, after realizing how ridiculous her threat sounded, Caenis' expression grew even uglier.
Although the outcome of this alliance was the same as she had expected, the process was completely different.
In her imagination, this meeting should have been entirely under her control, she would suppress Anaxagoras and turn her into a pawn, a puppet.
But now, the result was obvious. She couldn't suppress Anaxagoras; even her threats were hollow.
"I'll take my leave. I hope next time we meet, you'll still be here."
Knowing that staying any longer would only humiliate herself, Caenis turned and left after speaking.
In the hall, only Lygus and Anaxagoras remained.
Having enjoyed the spectacle, Cerces smacked her lips in admiration. "Ah, I've got to say that you've managed to really impress me again. But... shouldn't you be going after more?"
This alliance brought many benefits to Caenis. But Anaxagoras hadn't obtained any concrete promises from her.
Whether it was help with her own survival or any other requests, Anaxagoras hadn't mentioned any of it.
And Caenis had brushed it off with vague assurances of support. Anaxagoras didn't pursue it either.
"Dying to know what I'm after, huh?" Anaxagoras responded in his mind.
"I mean... I'm the Reason Titan, after all. It is in me to ask and seek answers." After Cerces spoke, Anaxagoras said nothing more.
But the Titan didn't mind. At least the truth was already within reach.
Anaxagoras's alliance with the Council of Elders was not the goal, it was merely part of the process.
As long as she followed Anaxagoras, sooner or later she would see what this person truly intended to do.
Just as she was about to continue lying low, Anaxagoras, who had seemed unlikely to answer, suddenly spoke in her mind:
"I didn't bring it up with her purely because she doesn't have the means to give me what I truly want. It's as they say, onlookers see most clearly."
"The true master of Dawncloud has always been the Theoros, who watches over everything."
As Anaxagoras spoke, the view shifted to Lygus, who had been standing not far away, as if merged with the air itself.
When this Intellitron noticed Anaxagoras's gaze, it gave a polite nod.
And the audience, at this moment, all wore expressions of "just as expected." From the moment Lygus first appeared, everyone had felt there was something extraordinary about him.
An Intellitron able to move freely in Okhema, in a place like Dawncloud, seemingly neutral.
But in an apocalyptic world like this, maintaining neutrality alone was enough to show the power behind him.
Filled with curiosity the audience continued watching. Anaxagoras stepped forward and walked up to Lygus.
Before she could speak, the Intellitron politely said, " ...An expected visitor. Welcome, once again."
Lygus's voice carried a trace of a smile. "You know, you could actually skip all the pointless debate and come straight to me to seek an audience with Kephale."
An audience with Kephale? The audience outside the screen all froze for a moment.
So this was Anaxagoras's true objective?
Lygus continued, "I have no reason to refuse you, do I?"
"You may not, but Caenis has. Whoever gets hold of Kephale's Coreflame will get to rule over Okhema..."
Anaxagoras, as always, saw straight through the human game at play. "She's wary of me, so naturally, I had to gain her trust. I would say that debate was not at all pointless."
Lygus nodded slightly. "Very true."
Since Lygus could see Cerces, the Titan didn't bother hiding herself. She manifested beside Anaxagoras and spoke immediately:
"In my view, this individual has gone to great lengths to get close to Kephale. He might very well be plotting something nefarious against the Titan."
"Are you still willing to let him pass knowing this?"
Although the audience was puzzled by Cerces' sudden remark, Lygus and Anaxagoras remained completely unfazed.
Lygus replied politely, "Yes, very much so. All living creations are always free to visit Kephale's transcendent vessel. This comes with being the Worldbearer."
"Hmph, how convenient it is to be able to hear what they say..."
At this moment, even Anaxagoras couldn't help but feel a trace of envy toward the Antikytherans.
"It is truly my honor to speak to a venerated Titan in person." Lygus said respectfully.
His stance had already been made clear. Anaxagoras's audience with Kephale now faced no further obstacles.
Both of them were intelligent people, there was no need to say anything more.
Under Lygus's guidance, they headed toward Kephale's statue.
Here at Dawncloud, there was another of Janus' Hidden Passage. Through this path, Anaxagoras could reach the Pilgrim's stairs.
Along the way... What surprised the audience most wasn't just the information Anaxagoras revealed, nor the intelligence about Lygus.
What puzzled them the most was that Lygus didn't ask for any reason at all. He simply let Anaxagoras pass with ease.
Standing before Janus's secret path, Anaxagoras hesitated slightly, glancing over.
"I have to admit I never expected you to not ask me anything, not even my motive."
Lygus' tone remained calm and unhurried. "Because I know very well what it is you are after. As the saying goes: A gentleman helps others achieve their goals. I have a feeling that your theory will be validated at the end of this journey-"
"I believe Kephale will not deprive you of your right to ask your question, especially now that you're on the brink of death... you must be closer to Kephale than anyone else, wouldn't you agree?"
Outside the screen, many viewers gasped when they saw this scene.
The mystery of this "Theoros" far exceeded their expectations.
...
: Why does this Intellitron feel like all-knowing? What's going on here?
: And this guy seriously feels like he knows everything.
: Seems like he even figured out Anaxagoras's goal.
: So mysterious.
: But he didn't stop Anaxagoras, and he's one of Kephale's followers, at the very least, he should be neutral.
: That line about "one who is about to die" being closest to Kephale… that's hinting at Kephale's condition, isn't it?
: Based on what he's shown so far, the title "Theoros" really fits.
...
The comments continued its discussion.
But only that much. Whether it was Lygus' identity as an Intellitron, or the title of Theoros, to the audience, it was just a source of curiosity.
At least for now, based on the story presented, he was merely a mysterious background figure with immense reach, a neutral party who had always remained behind the scenes.
And because of his consistently polite demeanor, he reminded viewers of the familiar Screwllum. For that reason, Lygus's first impression was, at the very least, positive.
Anaxagoras didn't question further. He withdrew his gaze and stepped into the secret path.
After a dizzying spin, Kephale's lowered head was already right before him, close enough to touch.
Anaxagoras took a breath and began to move forward.
The audience eyes were fixed on Anaxagoras. Betraying Aglaea, allying with the Council of Elders, after doing so many things, the audience had formed countless misunderstandings about him.
And now, what he truly intended to do, his real purpose, was about to be revealed at the end of this path.
But Anaxagoras's physical condition was deteriorating quickly.
Before he had taken more than a few steps, a wave of dizziness hit him, forcing him to stop and bend over, gasping for breath.
After resting for quite a while, he finally straightened up again.
But then his vision blurred. Figures made of crystal began appearing before his eyes.
Was it a hallucination? Or… Anaxagoras focused his gaze.
The silhouette of that crystal figure looked somewhat similar to Cerces.
"Hey, look at that..." Anaxagoras frowned and called out to Cerces.
"Hm? What should I be looking at?" Cerces emerged, staring ahead, but saw nothing.
"You can't see it?" Anaxagoras didn't think Cerces was joking with him, so he looked again.
The figure was still there. No matter how weak he was, he wouldn't mistake whether something was a hallucination.
So the figure resembling Cerces in front of him… was it a soul?
"Could it be that when a person is dying, they even get to see souls...?"
Anaxagoras murmured inwardly, unable to confirm, and could only continue forward.
Soon, he passed that figure. After just a few more steps, the figure appeared again ahead of him, and this time there was another one.
Not only that, as Anaxagoras approached, he could even hear the two figures, whether illusions or souls, talking.
"Oh? Why didn't you bring your favorite spear with you on this trip, Gnaeus?" The figure resembling Cerces spoke.
Opposite him, a figure dressed in a classical gladiator helm, styled like a Suspended Blade warrior, replied stiffly:
"Ah, it's unfortunate... The black tide destroyed every last inch of my Kalyx."
"Gnaeus?"
Anaxagoras frowned deeply, searching through the knowledge in his mind, but found nothing relevant.
However, the audience knew these names all too well.
...
: What the hell???
: Why is Gnaeus here?!
: Wait wait wait, my brain can't keep up!
: What does this mean? A figure resembling Cerces is talking to Gnaeus?!
: Is this Anaxagoras's hallucination, or FF, or memory?
: If it's memory… damn…
: When did this conversation even happen?
...
The audience erupted. They had a god's-eye view, knowing many things Anaxagoras did not.
For example… echoes of memory, and Gnaeus' story. Thus, they could easily determine that the man standing there was the Titan of Strife.
And the identity of the figure resembling Cerces, there was no need to guess. It had to be the Reason Titan.
Moreover, the more they looked at these figures, the more they resembled the memory fragments that Stelle and Mem often encountered.
Which meant, at some unknown point in time, the Strife Titan and the Reason Titan had once ascended Dawncloud.
...
: So Titans can actually communicate with each other?!
: And they even seem to have human forms?!
: No, no, that's not the important part, if Titans can communicate, then a lot of our previous assumptions are going to be overturned.
: Encountering two Titans beside Kephale's statue… the amount of information in this scene is insane!!
: This proves that in some distant past we don't know, the relationship between Titans wasn't hostile… they're completely different from the dynamic we imagined!
: I'm getting goosebumps… I have a feeling something important is about to be revealed!