Years passed.
And during those years, Nihil Mora became something the world had never expected him to become.
A prince.
A perfect prince.
He was polite to servants, respectful toward nobles, patient with children, courteous toward foreign rulers, and almost impossible to provoke.
To the people of Augusta, Nihil was the ideal royal.
To the kingdoms beyond Augusta, however, he was something far more complicated.
A political anomaly.
A mystery.
A danger that smiled politely.
Nihil had understood something very early.
The world did not need another war.
Not because war was morally wrong.
Not because he had suddenly developed a deep emotional attachment to every living race.
But because war was inefficient.
Humans hated Demons.
Demons distrusted Humans.
Elves considered most other races primitive.
Beasts feared Humans because of the Church.
And Dragons?
Dragons cared little about politics.
They wanted gold, ancient relics, treasures, magical artifacts, and anything else they considered valuable.
Every kingdom had spent generations teaching its people that the other races were monsters.
Nihil considered the entire situation absurd.
Five races.
Five civilizations.
Five cultures.
And an almost endless supply of reasons to kill one another.
So Nihil decided to remove the problem.
He would create an alliance powerful enough that none of the five races would ever need to fear the others again.
The plan became known throughout the kingdoms as the Peace Alliance.
Humans.
Demons.
Elves.
Beasts.
Dragons.
Five races beneath one agreement.
And Nihil would stand at the center of it.
Not as their emperor.
Not yet.
But as the person who made cooperation possible.
THE ELVEN ALLIANCE
The first major step toward uniting the five races was the Elven Alliance.
Unlike the Demon Kingdom, the Elves were not governed solely by a single military dynasty.
Their political structure was dominated by several ancient noble houses.
Among them stood the Four Great Houses.
One of those houses was House Vesper.
House Vesper had existed for centuries.
Its influence stretched across enormous forests, magical academies, trade routes, sacred territories, and countless settlements.
At the heart of its territory stood a magnificent palace.
Its enormous architecture combined pale stone, dark obsidian, glowing magical crystals, and ancient Elven symbols carved into every wall.
When Nihil arrived, hundreds of Elven soldiers and mages were waiting inside the entrance hall.
They stood in two perfectly organized lines.
Every eye turned toward him.
Some were curious.
Some were nervous.
Others were openly suspicious.
After all, Nihil Mora was no ordinary Human prince.
Rumors about him had already spread throughout the world.
Some called him a genius.
Others called him a monster.
Some claimed he possessed enough power to destroy entire kingdoms.
And a few believed even those rumors underestimated him.
Nihil walked through the enormous hall without changing his expression.
His footsteps echoed softly against the polished floor.
Calm.
Measured.
Unhurried.
At the end of the hall stood an elegant Elven woman.
The current head of House Vesper.
She was also the representative of the Elven Kingdom who had been chosen to receive Nihil.
The Queen stepped forward.
The surrounding soldiers immediately bowed.
She smiled.
“Welcome to House Vesper, Prince Nihil Mora.”
Nihil stopped before her.
He bowed slightly.
“Greetings, Your Majesty.”
The Queen immediately shook her head.
“Please, Nihil.”
He raised his eyes.
“Yes?”
“Drop the formalities.”
A few nearby Elves exchanged nervous glances.
The Queen continued.
“We both know who is stronger here.”
Her gaze briefly moved toward the soldiers and mages surrounding them.
She smiled faintly.
“If you truly wanted to, you could probably destroy this entire city.”
The atmosphere became noticeably heavier.
“And these people?”
She gestured toward the Elven warriors.
“They would be nothing more than stones standing in your way.”
Nihil simply nodded.
“Fine.”
The Queen blinked.
“That easy?”
“I don’t mind.”
She stared at him for several seconds.
Then she laughed softly.
“You really are strange.”
Nihil said nothing.
The Queen turned around.
“Come with me.”
Nihil followed.
There were no guards surrounding them.
No grand military escort.
No elaborate ceremony.
The Queen of House Vesper simply walked through the streets of the Elven capital beside Nihil Mora.
At first, people noticed them.
Whispers spread through the streets.
“The Queen is walking with a Human.”
“Is that Prince Nihil?”
“Why is there no guard?”
“Are they negotiating something?”
“Why does he look so calm?”
But eventually, the whispers began to disappear beneath the sounds of ordinary life.
Children laughing.
Families talking.
Merchants calling out to customers.
Elven musicians performing in the streets.
The peaceful sound of civilization.
Nihil looked around.
The Queen noticed.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?”
Nihil nodded.
“Yes.”
She looked toward several children playing beside a fountain.
“Can you see it?”
Nihil glanced at her.
“See what?”
“This.”
She gestured toward the city.
“The children playing.”
Then toward several families sitting together.
“The families.”
And finally, the streets filled with ordinary citizens.
“The peaceful lives they have.”
Nihil remained silent.
The Queen continued.
“This is what the Elves have always wanted.”
She smiled faintly.
“We never wanted wars.”
She paused.
“And we never wanted endless conquest.”
Nihil looked at her.
“For generations, we believed that peace could be achieved by protecting only what belongs to us.”
Her expression became more serious.
“But eventually we realized something.”
Nihil waited.
“The price of peace is impossible to calculate.”
“No kingdom can buy it.”
“No army can force it.”
“No ruler can simply order it into existence.”
She turned toward him.
“Peace is priceless.”
Nihil remained silent.
“But unfortunately…”
Her voice became quieter.
“I cannot say the same thing for the entire world.”
Nihil’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“What do you mean?”
The Queen looked toward the distant horizon.
“There are only a few places in this world where people can live like this.”
She raised one hand.
“The regions controlled by the Four Great Houses.”
“Those territories have experienced long periods of stability.”
She lowered her hand.
“But what about everyone else?”
Nihil looked toward the peaceful streets.
The children.
The families.
The merchants.
The musicians.
The ordinary people who had no interest in politics.
He understood.
The Elven Kingdom had managed to preserve peace within its own lands.
But peace was not universal.
Beyond their borders were kingdoms still fighting.
Villages destroyed by war.
Families separated by conflict.
People who had never experienced a life without fear.
Nihil finally spoke.
“I want the entire world to look like this.”
The Queen turned toward him.
Nihil’s voice remained calm.
“Peaceful.”
“Beautiful.”
“A place where children can play without worrying about armies.”
“A place where families don’t have to wonder whether tomorrow will bring another war.”
He looked directly into her eyes.
“I want the entire world to become like this.”
The Queen stared at him.
For the first time, her expression became completely serious.
“Would you help me?”
Nihil answered without hesitation.
“Of course.”
He looked toward the city again.
“That’s my mission.”
The Queen smiled.
“Then perhaps we were destined to meet.”
Nihil gave a small nod.
“Perhaps.”
THE FIRST AGREEMENT
The two continued walking for some time.
They discussed trade routes.
Military borders.
Magical research.
Cultural exchanges.
Protection of civilians.
Mutual defense.
And, most importantly, the future.
Neither of them wanted the alliance to become another empire.
Nihil wanted cooperation.
The Queen wanted peace.
Their reasons were different.
Their destination was the same.
Eventually, they returned to the palace.
The formal meeting began.
Representatives of House Vesper gathered around a massive conference table.
Ancient documents were brought forward.
Magical contracts were prepared.
Seals representing Human and Elven authority were placed upon the table.
The Queen stood at the head of the chamber.
“For the protection of our people,” she announced, “and for the preservation of peace between Humans and Elves…”
She looked toward Nihil.
“…House Vesper accepts the Peace Alliance.”
One of the ancient seals activated.
Light spread across the table.
Nihil placed his hand upon the contract.
“I accept.”
Another seal activated.
The room became silent.
The alliance was complete.
Humans and Elves were officially united.
And House Vesper had become one of the powers supporting Nihil’s vision.
The news traveled rapidly throughout the Elven Kingdom.
One of the Four Great Houses had joined the Peace Alliance.
And that meant Nihil was no longer attempting to create an alliance alone.
He now had a second great power behind him.
The foundation had been laid.
But Nihil knew this was only the beginning.
He still needed the Demons.
The Beasts.
And the Dragons.
And before any of them could be approached, another gathering had to take place.
A gathering inside the home of Nihil Mora himself.
The day finally arrived.
A royal carriage bearing the crest of Augusta approached an enormous estate at the center of the capital.
The mansion was impossible to overlook.
It had been constructed almost entirely from gold.
Golden walls reflected the sunlight.
Golden towers rose into the sky.
Massive doors were decorated with precious stones.
Even the pathways leading toward the entrance seemed to glitter.
It was less like a mansion and more like a palace constructed by someone who had decided normal architecture was not extravagant enough.
The carriage stopped.
The doors opened.
The first person to leap out was Eleanor.
She immediately ran toward Nihil.
“NIHIL!”
Before he could react, she threw her arms around him.
“I missed you, brother!”
Nihil caught her without effort.
Eleanor sighed dramatically.
“Royal duties are so difficult!”
She finally released him and looked at him with an exaggerated expression of exhaustion.
“I barely have time to play with you anymore.”
Nihil gave a faint smile.
“You are supposed to be acting like a princess.”
“I am acting like a princess.”
She pointed toward herself.
“A very tired princess.”
A voice came from behind her.
“Now, now, Eleanor.”
Lilyana stepped out of the carriage.
“Behave like a queen.”
She smiled.
“After all, you are the future of this kingdom.”
Eleanor immediately straightened.
“Yes, Mother.”
Then she quietly leaned toward Nihil.
“But I still missed you.”
Nihil nodded.
“I missed you too.”
Another carriage door opened.
Ilyra stepped out.
She immediately looked toward Nihil.
“My son.”
Nihil glanced toward her.
“Mother.”
Ilyra smiled warmly.
“How are you doing?”
Lilyana instantly turned toward her.
“He is not your son, Ilyra.”
Ilyra blinked.
“Oh, yes he is.”
Lilyana narrowed her eyes.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
Nihil stood between them.
Eleanor tried desperately not to laugh.
Ilyra crossed her arms.
“He calls me Mother.”
Lilyana responded immediately.
“Because you keep encouraging him.”
“And?”
“He’s my son.”
“He’s mine too.”
Lilyana stared at her.
“You stole him.”
“I did not steal him.”
“You absolutely did.”
Aurelius finally stepped out of the carriage.
He looked at the two women arguing.
Then he sighed.
“You’re both impossible.”
Neither paid attention.
Before the argument could become even longer, Aurelius turned toward Nihil.
His expression softened.
“Nihil.”
Nihil looked toward him.
“Father.”
Aurelius placed a hand on his shoulder.
“I am proud of you.”
Nihil raised an eyebrow.
Aurelius smiled.
“You have already secured an alliance with one of the Four Great Houses.”
He glanced toward the enormous mansion.
“And now we’re here to make the second.”
Nihil nodded.
“I’ll do my best.”
Aurelius laughed.
“I know you will.”
Then another carriage arrived.
The door opened.
The Elven Queen stepped out.
She looked toward Aurelius.
Then Ilyra.
Then Lilyana.
A small smile appeared on her face.
“Hello, Aurelius.”
She paused.
“Hello, Ilyra.”
Then she looked toward Lilyana.
“And Lilyana.”
Her smile widened.
“Long time no see, huh?”
Ilyra smiled.
“Indeed.”
Lilyana stepped closer.
Then her eyes widened.
“Oh my…”
She stared at the Queen.
“My Lia.”
The Queen smiled.
“It has been a long time.”
Lilyana laughed.
“I didn’t even know you were the current head of House Vesper.”
Aurelius quietly watched the reunion.
The Queen then turned toward Nihil.
Her expression softened.
“I must admit…”
She looked at Ilyra.
“I never knew you had such a wonderful son.”
Lilyana immediately answered.
“He is not her son.”
The Queen blinked.
Ilyra laughed.
“See?”
Lilyana frowned.
“I am not possessive.”
The Queen and Ilyra both laughed.
Lilyana crossed her arms.
“I am not.”
The Queen smiled.
“Just as I remembered.”
Then she leaned slightly toward Ilyra.
“She is still possessive.”
Ilyra nodded.
“Extremely.”
Lilyana narrowed her eyes.
“I can hear you.”
Eleanor covered her mouth to hide a laugh.
And then…
The final carriage arrived.
The atmosphere changed.
The insignia of House Erebus was displayed on its side.
The door opened.
The Head of House Erebus stepped out first.
He said nothing.
He simply walked toward the entrance and entered the mansion.
Behind him came his daughter.
She stepped out calmly.
Elegant.
Composed.
She politely approached everyone.
Her eyes briefly met Nihil’s.
She bowed.
“Nihil.”
Then she looked around the gathering.
“Thank you for the invitation.”
Nihil returned the gesture.
“Welcome.”
The daughter of House Erebus said nothing more.
She simply followed her father inside.
THE HALL OF THE GOLDEN THRONE
Everyone eventually gathered inside the largest hall of the mansion.
The chamber had been built specifically for grand parties, royal receptions, diplomatic gatherings, and enormous balls.
More than twenty massive pillars surrounded the room.
Each pillar was guarded by a soldier.
A vast golden chandelier hung above the center.
At the far end of the room stood a throne.
It was not merely a throne.
It resembled something divine.
The entire structure was made from gold, with intricate carvings running across its surface and enormous gemstones embedded into the back.
Nihil walked toward it.
Alpha and Omega followed.
The two artificial daughters stood silently at his sides.
Nihil sat upon the golden throne.
The remaining guests took their seats around a massive circular table positioned below him.
A short distance away stood Gideon Noctis.
The head of the Noctis family had been invited as an observer and representative of the financial powers supporting the Peace Alliance.
He stepped forward.
“Allow me to introduce everyone.”
He began with the representatives of Augusta.
Then House Vesper.
Then House Erebus.
Then the other attending nobles and officials.
Finally, servants entered the hall.
Dinner was served.
For a while, the atmosphere remained surprisingly peaceful.
People ate.
People talked.
Some discussed trade.
Others spoke of magical research.
But eventually, the plates were cleared.
The real discussion began.
THE THREE HOUSES
The first negotiations were between Augusta and House Erebus.
House Vesper supported the proposal.
The discussion continued for hours.
Military cooperation.
Shared borders.
Trade.
Civilian protection.
Mutual defense.
Magical technology.
Everything was discussed.
But the representatives of House Erebus remained cautious.
Eventually, one of them spoke.
“There is still a problem.”
Nihil looked at him.
“What problem?”
The representative folded his arms.
“We cannot accept a leader weaker than our current King.”
The room became quiet.
Another representative continued.
“You wish to place Prince Nihil at the center of this alliance.”
He stared directly at Nihil.
“But we have never followed someone we considered weaker than the rulers already leading our people.”
Nihil remained calm.
The representative continued.
“Therefore, there are two conditions.”
He raised one finger.
“First, Prince Nihil must show us his true power.”
A second finger followed.
“Second, Prince Nihil must join House Erebus.”
Several people immediately looked toward Nihil.
The representative explained.
“House Erebus will not recognize another house as the leader of this alliance.”
Silence.
Lilyana looked toward Nihil.
Ilyra looked toward Nihil.
Aurelius waited.
The daughter of House Erebus remained perfectly calm.
Nihil finally spoke.
“Fine by me.”
Several representatives looked surprised.
Nihil continued.
“I will show you my power.”
He glanced at them.
“And I will join House Erebus.”
His expression remained completely relaxed.
“All I have to do is show you my Shinkai.”
A representative nodded.
“Yes.”
Then he paused.
“But there is more.”
Nihil raised an eyebrow.
The representative looked toward the daughter of House Erebus.
The room became silent.
Nihil glanced toward her.
She remained calm.
Nihil shrugged.
“That’s fine by me.”
He looked around the table.
“As long as she has no issue with it.”
Ilyra immediately smiled.
“What a gentleman.”
Lilyana turned toward her.
“Shut up, Ilyra.”
Aurelius sighed.
Then he looked toward the daughter of House Erebus.
“If Seraphina is comfortable with the arrangement, then no one has the right to object.”
Seraphina finally spoke.
Her voice was polite and calm.
“If Nihil is willing to spend time with everyone and understand the responsibilities involved, then I do not see a problem.”
Several people remained silent.
The Head of House Erebus finally leaned back.
His expression remained unreadable.
Then he spoke.
“Then the alliance is in progress.”
A magical document was brought to the table.
Three seals were prepared.
House Augusta.
House Vesper.
House Erebus.
One by one, the leaders signed.
The seals activated.
A wave of magical energy spread across the room.
The Peace Alliance had officially been created among the three great powers.
Augusta.
Vesper.
Erebus.
Three houses.
Three powers.
One agreement.
But the most difficult races remained.
The Beasts.
And the Dragons.
The Head of House Erebus looked toward Nihil.
“What do you think of the Dragons?”
Nihil answered immediately.
“I have already made that matter clear with the Noctis family.”
Gideon smiled from the back of the room.
Nihil continued.
“They won’t join the alliance.”
Several representatives frowned.
“But they will stay out of wars.”
He leaned back against the throne.
“They are harmless.”
Lia tilted her head.
“Harmless?”
Nihil nodded.
“They care about treasure more than conquest.”
Lia smiled.
“Then what will you offer them?”
Nihil looked toward Gideon.
“My entire finance.”
Several people froze.
Gideon Noctis smiled.
He had already known.
And he looked very pleased with the answer.
THE GOLDEN INVESTMENT
Eleanor glanced toward Mimi.
Mimi was standing nearby.
The two exchanged a look.
Eleanor’s expression suddenly became suspicious.
Then she glanced around the mansion.
The golden walls.
The golden pillars.
The golden chandeliers.
The golden furniture.
She slowly looked back toward Nihil.
Mimi seemed to understand the same thing.
So that’s why…
Nihil had been building everything with gold.
Because he already knew exactly who would eventually benefit from it.
Gideon Noctis.
The financial mastermind of the Noctis family.
The man who would control the resources Nihil was offering.
Gideon’s smile widened slightly.
He said nothing.
But his expression said enough.
THE SHINKAI
The negotiations appeared to be complete.
But the representatives of House Erebus were not satisfied.
The first condition remained.
They needed to witness Nihil’s true strength.
One representative leaned forward.
“Then…”
He looked directly at Nihil.
“Show us your Shinkai.”
The room became silent.
Nihil slowly stood.
“Very well.”
He stepped away from the golden throne.
Alpha and Omega immediately moved farther back.
The guards surrounding the pillars tightened their posture.
Seraphina watched him.
Lilyana watched him.
Ilyra watched him.
Aurelius watched him.
Even Gideon stopped smiling.
Nihil closed his eyes.
For a moment…
Nothing happened.
Then his Shinkai activated.
His eyes changed.
The normal appearance disappeared.
They became hollow.
And from those hollow eyes began to emerge something unnatural.
A pale mixture of white and violet.
Then came the blood.
Not red.
White.
And violet.
It ran from his eyes in thin streams.
The atmosphere changed instantly.
A strange pressure filled the hall.
Flowers began blooming around Nihil.
But they were not Sakura blossoms.
They were something far stranger.
Spider lilies.
One after another, they emerged from the ground.
Across the floor.
Along the walls.
Around the pillars.
Their presence alone felt unnatural.
Then the mist appeared.
Violet.
Red.
Dense.
It spread from Nihil.
Across the hall.
Through the mansion.
Beyond the estate.
Across the city.
Across the land.
Across the sky.
The mist continued expanding.
Deeper.
Further.
Until it surrounded the entire planet.
Even the highest heavens were consumed by the strange red-violet mist.
Something was wrong.
Every being in existence felt it.
Instinctively, they reacted.
Shinkai awakened across the world.
Gods.
Immortals.
Mages.
Kings.
Monsters.
Demons.
Elves.
Beasts.
Every powerful being activated their own Shinkai as a defensive response.
They did not even understand what they were defending against.
They simply knew that something terrifying had appeared.
Animals began collapsing.
Birds fell from the sky.
Creatures scattered in panic.
The mere presence of Nihil’s Shinkai was enough to overwhelm weaker life.
Inside the golden mansion, the people gathered around him could barely breathe.
Then cracks began appearing across Nihil’s body.
They were not scars.
They were not wounds.
They resembled cracks spreading across something that should never have been allowed to exist.
Thin lines crossed his arms.
His neck.
His face.
His chest.
The cracks glowed faintly beneath his skin.
The entire room descended into terror.
One representative finally lost control.
“STOP!”
Nihil looked at him.
The representative’s voice trembled.
“Are you going to kill us?!”
Nihil stared at him for a moment.
Then…
He stopped.
The mist vanished.
The flowers disappeared.
The strange blood flowing from his eyes disappeared.
The cracks across his body disappeared.
The pressure was gone.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Every person inside the hall was on their knees.
The soldiers.
The mages.
The representatives.
The nobles.
Even the members of the three great houses.
Even Gideon Noctis had lowered himself.
No one spoke.
One representative finally managed to breathe.
“What…”
He looked at Nihil with disbelief.
“What is this?”
Another whispered.
“What kind of monstrous Shinkai is that?”
A third spoke louder.
“How can a Human possess such dense Shinkai?”
“Impossible.”
Another representative stared at Nihil.
“At this stage…”
His voice trembled.
“You could destroy the entire world.”
“You could rule over every kingdom.”
“Why?”
He looked genuinely unable to understand.
“Why would someone possessing this kind of power want an alliance?”
Why would he need anyone?
Why would someone who could stand above the entire world choose cooperation instead of domination?
Nihil slowly looked around the room.
At the representatives.
At the nobles.
At his family.
At Seraphina.
At the people who had finally seen the power he had hidden for so long.
His expression remained calm.
There was no pride.
No arrogance.
No desire for worship.
Only certainty.
“I don’t desire power.”
He paused.
“I don’t desire worship.”
Another silence.
Nihil looked toward the massive golden windows.
Beyond them was the world.
A world divided by race.
A world divided by fear.
A world where children were raised to hate people they had never met.
A world where kingdoms prepared for wars they claimed they did not want.
Nihil finally spoke.
His voice was quiet.
“I want to see a perfect world.”
No one answered.
Because for the first time…
Everyone understood what Nihil Mora truly wanted.
He did not want to conquer the world.
He wanted to change it.