Hero of Darkness
Chapter 1128 - 1128: Heart Laid Out

The following day, Kahn and Kassandra emerged from the secluded realm, accompanied by Kahn's three most trusted subordinates.

A palpable sense of resolve marked the transition from their private sanctuary back to the real world, as both carried the weight of their responsibilities and impending actions.

To Kahn's surprise, Kassandra had long been aware of his enigmatic subordinates, having discovered their existence years ago when she had first ascended to the rank of a 2nd-stage saint.

At that time, she had just begun meticulously orchestrating her plan for vengeance against those who had wronged her. Her ascent in power had granted her a greater understanding of the hidden forces at play within her clan, allowing her to uncover secrets that had been deliberately buried beneath layers of deception and political maneuvering.

One such revelation was the true nature of an Elder who had once been an influential figure in the clan... one of the many individuals who had been eager to trade Kassandra away in marriage for his own personal and political gains.

This particular Elder, despite being only a 3rd-stage saint, had secured his position of power not through sheer strength but through his cunning, strategic mind, and manipulative tactics. His ability to navigate the treacherous waters of noble politics had earned him favor among the majority of the clan's ruling council.

To him, the offspring of the clan were nothing more than bargaining chips, mere commodities to be exchanged in carefully arranged marriages that served the sole purpose of elevating his own standing.

His influence within the Elder Council stemmed from his ability to negotiate and orchestrate unions that would bring wealth, alliances, and political leverage to the clan... transactions that ensured his name remained relevant and his status unchallenged.

Should one of these arranged marriages yield prosperity, prestige, or financial gain, he would claim full credit for his strategic brilliance, further cementing his position of importance. However, if such unions led to misfortune, scandal, or conflict, he was equally adept at shifting the blame onto the very descendants he had coerced into these marriages.

His rhetoric was calculated, painting the victims of his schemes as selfish individuals who had failed to make the necessary sacrifices for the betterment of their family and their clan.

This Elder's influence extended beyond mere matchmaking. He had cultivated relationships with like-minded individuals in other noble houses, forming an informal network of those who shared his ideology.

Together, they facilitated and enforced political marriages that benefited the ruling elites while disregarding the well-being, happiness, or personal desires of those being wed. For them, marriage was never about love, compatibility, or mutual respect... it was a cold, transactional arrangement meant to strengthen bloodlines and secure power.

The consequences of this practice were devastating. Many clan members, particularly the weaker or less influential, found themselves powerless to resist these arranged fates. Some, unable to endure a lifetime of suffering in loveless or abusive marriages, took the most tragic path... opting for death over a life of oppression.

There were cases where young women, forced into unions with violent or sadistic husbands, had met cruel fates. Similarly, men who had been coerced into marrying women with scandalous pasts or destructive tendencies often found their lives ruined, and their ambitions shattered.

The practice of political marriage was not exclusive to Kassandra's clan...it was a widespread tradition embedded in the very foundation of nobility. Whether among royalty or the aristocracy, these unions were dictated by power, wealth, and strategic advantage, with little regard for the individuals involved.

Those at the top viewed it as a necessary evil, a means to secure their dominion and influence, while those at the bottom bore the brunt of its inhumanity.

When Kassandra found an opportunity to seclude and kill the elder... her plans were thwarted by the sudden appearance of some of his allies within the clan who also shared his ambitions.

But as she was already found, Kassandra had no choice but to fight them all together. But even with her strength and summoned deity, she eventually ran out of world energy as these people were seasoned veterans themselves.

As her life was on the verge of imminent death... the subordinates hiding under her shadow finally showed up and assisted her in defeating all of them.

Even though they were all but 1st-stage saints at that time, the power, skills, and unique abilities that should belong to multiple different fighting classes were tremendously helpful.

After the battle, the subordinates gave her the core of the 3rd-stage saint and kept the rest for their growth.

It was after that incident, that Kassandra learned about them being Kahn's creation.

At first, she was surprised. However, the subordinates were prohibited from revealing his true identity back then. So all she could do was wait for Kahn to return one day.

Ever since that time, all three of them were her hidden allies as well as bodyguards that she often used during her strategies and even fights as she moved from one target to another.

In just 5 years, Kassandra and the 3 subordinates had eliminated over 53 targets.

But the Mikealson Clan had millions of members and those who approved the tradeoff back then were more than a hundred.

Each time, they found a way to blame the circumstances of the disappearance of these members on external factors such as treason, some enemy clan targeting them, or even these people defecting for greater gains to other clans and then disappearing into thin air.

And since she could perfectly hide her rank ever since Kahn merged her soul with Kassandra... no one ever suspected her to be the main culprit.

To the entire Mikealson clan, Kassandra was still a 2nd-stage saint, one of the most talented prospects of the clan, just like Veronica, her cousin who also rose to the same rank recently.

But the humiliation and betrayal still ignited the flame of vengeance just the same even to this day.

Killing Stronoff Mikealson, her uncle, and also one of the perpetrators could be considered as destroying one of the pillars of the clan.

After his death was to become public, Kassandra had already planned to blame one of his lifelong nemesis who vied for his moniker as the Number 1 swordsman of Vantrea.

The trail of evidence would come from the way she used Hachiman to kill Stronoff.

They even orchestrated the said culprit's arrival in Rathna yesterday so people could connect the dots themselves.

Everything was thoroughly planned by Kassandra and the 3 subordinates had been very reliable for her, thanks to Kahn.

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For the past 10 days in Kahn's realm, that was equivalent to 1 day in Vantrea... other than their 'questionable' activities... he told Kassandra about his real identity.

Her reaction to this information was no different than that of Albestros and Sirius.

Whether it was his previous life, his new identity, the responsibilities he shouldered since the day of his arrival in vantrea... Kahn told her all the important things step by step.

Each day, while professing his feelings, his worries, and the hardships he went through after leaving Rakos Empire... Kahn chose not to hide anything.

As time passed, Kassandra started appreciating his honesty even more. Knowing that the man she had committed herself to over all these years was indeed worthy of her love and respect.

Was Kahn perfect by any standards? No... he was not.

All the personality traits and development he accumulated after leaving Vantrea was something she couldn't judge either.

It was around the 5th day, that Kahn told her the machinations of Martial Emperor aka the original Kahn Salvatore.

At that point, she couldn't help but wonder if all things Kahn told her were nothing but lies.

But after she saw him use the Descent of the Martial God skill... the one which had the Martial Emperor's visage manifesting over Kahn, she came to believe everything.

She also learned that in the original timeline... Kahn and Kassandra never met.

The biggest but also obvious shock was that she had committed suicide.

The fact that Kahn was not by her side during that night... changed her destiny entirely.

"Here I was... fighting for my own existence while you were fighting for the sake of everything that has ever existed.

It makes my revenge against my clan seem... incredibly petty." spoke Kassandra with a sense of resignation.

"No... it was something you needed to do anyway. It defines who you are as a person.

Some may say that vengeance is a path of destruction.

But whothersther preach morality... they also fail to acknowledge that vengeance is also the path to salvation." spoke Kahn in a reassuring tone.

"Providence... both you and I believe in providence.

The difference is that, unlike others, we're not waiting for God to seek out justice on our behalf.

Rather, we're choosing to be the enforcers of that justice ourselves." spoke Kahn as he honestly related to Kassandra.

It was right then, that Kassandra had decided that she would no longer stay hidden and move beyond her small-scale revenge.

She wouldn't forgive her clan or even her parents... but for now, she needed to be by Kahn's side.

Because based on what the Martial Emperor told Kahn... Kassandra was one of the only 2 people left in the world who had the Deity Summoner class.

And if her involvement could billions of lives and help in saving the whole world of Vantrea... then she would happily do it.

Just like Kahn... Kassandra too now had a higher purpose in her life.

On the 9th day...

Kahn revealed the survival of the Abyss Empire and where he was headed.

And how he now wished to become the Emperor of the Rakos Empire, just like in the original timeline.

Yet, many of those plans needed to be carefully orchestrated so that when the Great War actually began... they would be able to steer the direction of the war and save countless lives.

Followed by another passionate day of love and intimacy... Kahn and Kassandra had decided to join their fates together...

Never to be torn apart again.

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