Pythor had done it again. He had discovered the lost city of Ouroboros, a place buried in legend and forgotten by most of Ninjago. Curious, intricate, and teeming with secrets. Yet I barely raised an eyebrow. Ancient ruins and hidden treasures were hardly new to me, and if anything, I found it amusing that Pythor would stumble upon it before I did.
"Foolish little snake," I murmured, letting a trace of purple flame curl around my fingertips. "He has no idea how to wield something like that… yet."
My attention drifted elsewhere, of course. My empire was expanding, my lava lands secure, my troops loyal—or at least easily replaced—and my magical experiments proceeding without interruption. The Serpentine wars, the ninja training, the golden weapons, the rise of Samurai X… all of it was noise I could observe at my leisure. Entertainment. And opportunity.
Speaking of Samurai X… Nya had seemingly inserted herself into the chaos again. Her motivations were obvious—jealousy, perhaps, or a desire to prove herself. Still, she added an interesting variable to the mix. I made a mental note: watch her, learn her patterns, and decide later if she was worth manipulating.
Meanwhile, Lloyd had been captured by the Serpentine Seas. Typical. Impulsive, brave, yet tragically easy to ensnare when surrounded by vipers and treachery. I allowed the scrying spell to focus on him for a moment, noting every subtle reaction, every attempt to resist.
The other ninja, however, had managed to escape. Kai, Jay, Cole—they still had potential, if only fleeting. And Zane… now there was a marvel.
The robot's full potential had awakened. I studied him carefully. A mechanical body powered by elemental energy, finely tuned to perfection. His father's genius was undeniable—imparting elemental power to a machine, creating something more than human, more than elemental… a living weapon of unimaginable precision.
"Fascinating," I whispered. "A being capable of power and strategy, yet bound by circuits. Perhaps there's a way to… utilize this."
I leaned back, eyes scanning multiple images at once through the layered scrying spells. The Serpentine were regrouping, the ninja were fleeing and adapting, and Lloyd—poor, naive Lloyd—was caught in a web he could barely comprehend. All of it was playing out perfectly for me.
My empire could expand without interference. My troops could march, my magical experiments could proceed, and I could study the rise of Samurai X, the awakening of Zane, and the actions of the ninja all at my leisure.
And all the while… time itself answered to me.
I smirked.
Let Pythor find Ouroboros. Let Lloyd struggle. Let Zane's circuits hum with power. Let the ninja and Samurai X fight, escape, and survive.
All of it would eventually bend to me.
I just had to wait.
Patience had always been one of my greatest allies.
And when the time was right… Ninjago would finally see who truly held the power.
I rose from my throne, letting the purple flames flicker across my arms as I stared at the scrying images.
"Yes," I said quietly. "Let them play their games. I'll play mine… and the final move will be mine alone."