Sinora sensed the dangerous magical energy and reacted immediately.
She was even more familiar with Pranay's every move than Antanas was.
Before the surging black flames could collide with the glowing barrier, they completely dispersed as though an error had occurred midway through the spell's operation.
"Brother, it's me."
Sinora raised both hands, swiftly signaling that she bore no hostility the moment she unraveled Pranay of Truth's offensive magic.
"I'm Antanas! One of our own—hold your fire!" Antanas chimed in hastily from the side.
"...?"
Pranay, who had been poised to launch another strike, showed a flicker of bewilderment.
He truly felt that the auras of these two powerful humans somehow bore a vague resemblance to Antanas of Protection and his own sister, Sinora the Spellbreaker.
Crucially, unraveling his spells in an instant was an ability unique to Sinora.
Only Sinora, having seen his myriad magics and cracked most of them long ago, could reverse-engineer his casting at first glance.
A moment later, the confusion in Pranay's eyes deepened. He seemed unable to comprehend how these two had managed to reach this level, or how they had disguised themselves as humans using a concealment magic he had never seen before—even going so far as to pose as guards and fool Herrom Prison.
Though Pranay could perceive a disguise woven from Demon Magic Script upon scrutinizing them with his own eyes, he still could not discern its underlying principles.
It was clearly a kind of magic that had never existed even before the fall of the Demon Realm.
"Brother, we've come to rescue you. We've found a new king! She will become our god and lead us to the perfect world we've yearned for so long," Sinora said, approaching Pranay and severing the chains binding him as she poured her heart out to the brother she had not seen in a century. "She is unimaginably powerful, yet she values and cherishes us. Once you meet her, you'll surely feel her love."
"..."
Yet Pranay merely listened in silence. He slowly lowered his hands and stood motionless, as if still bound in chains.
He did not even remove the mask restraining him.
With some effort, Sinora unlocked the latch at the back of Pranay's head, finally freeing him to speak.
Beneath the restraining mask, his handsome face was sharply chiseled, faintly reflecting his sibling resemblance to Sinora. The only striking distinction lay in Pranay's slender eyes; his irises were like the deepest dark blue of the night sky, tinged with a chilling, distant detachment, yet veiled by an almost imperceptible mist that lent him an enigmatic air.
"..."
Sinora stared blankly at her brother. For some reason, the sage of the Demon Realm, whose lips had always curled with a faint smile, showed not the slightest trace of joy at his impending freedom.
"Brother, what's wrong?"
Back in the Demon Realm, absolute mutual trust had bound brother and sister together through life and death. She did not believe Pranay would think she was joking after she had said this much.
"One day I shall depart and go to the place where we belong, but not today."
Pranay of Truth cast his eyes down, his gaze dim as he parted his lips to speak softly, "As we are now, we lack the capability to survive on the surface."
"Brother, the new king is strong—stronger than the three of us combined. And with the three of us joining forces, we wouldn't even have to fear the Imperial Great Sage. You can rest assured regarding our safety and survival," Sinora said at an unhurried pace.
She knew what Pranay was worried about and why he was so pessimistic.
Her brother was timid, sure, but he wasn't so cowardly that he would turn down freedom when it was right in front of him.
"..."
Pranay merely shook his head with a faint smile.
When he looked at Sinora again, his eyes held a complicated hesitation.
"I can imagine how powerful this new king must be to rescue both of you so flawlessly, and I understand how hard-won it is for us to finally await such a king..." Pranay murmured, gazing past Sinora at the prison wall behind her.
He often saw far more than other demons, and thus understood deeper implications.
The new king was not of the ninth tier. If she were of the ninth tier, no one in the current Protos Empire would be a match for her, and she would hardly need to go to such trouble to rescue the three of them.
"In the Protos Empire, the shadow of a curse has followed like a silhouette, yet the entire Imperial Capital Herrom remains oblivious. By the time those fools finally look into the endless questions and the source of the calamity, it will already be too late... Sometimes I feel as though everything is a recurrence of yesterday, and no one can alter the course of events," Pranay whispered to himself, as though pronouncing the Protos Empire's doom.
"Did you see something...?" Sinora asked with concern.
She knew that over the past century apart, Pranay's innate magic must have evolved.
Even without an opponent before him, Pranay could keep those eyes of his active at all times.
Perhaps her brother had developed traits of Clairvoyance or Foresight, sporadically manifesting in bursts.
For her brother to be so resistant to returning to the surface, could an unknown upheaval be unfolding across the Protos Empire, now verging on a tipping point?
"..."
Pranay fell silent for a long while.
He had not intended to speak of it, as he had no reason to aid the Protos Empire. But when it came to his own kin, he decided not to keep them in the dark.
"The Protos Empire will soon perish—a few years at most... The bishop election in three days will be the turning point," Pranay said slowly to Sinora and Antanas. "A few days ago, a battle completely unknown to the world took place in the north of the Protos Empire. I saw several impossible-to-defeat enemies. And their battle—one capable of destroying us with ease—was merely the opening act of the Protos Empire's downfall..."
"This..."
Sinora and Antanas exchanged a glance.
They had never expected the Protos Empire on the surface to be facing a generational upheaval!
Returning to the empire at such a juncture seemed like a terrible idea.
Sinora and Antanas instantly understood: Pranay believed Herrom Prison served as a safer natural sanctuary. He did not want to be dragged into the strife; he wanted to lay low until reaching the ninth tier before venturing out!
History had proven that Pranay's judgment was rarely mistaken. Even if the new king held him in high esteem, the one thing no one could sway was his conservative decision-making.
Now, even if the new king had her own judgment and felt leaving the prison was best, it would be almost impossible to convince the resolute Pranay!
"..."
Seeing the shocked expressions on Sinora and Antanas's faces, Pranay knew—
The new king, too, was completely in the dark regarding the shifting tides of the Protos Empire.
Chapter 443