The One Who Condemns
Sally let out a sharp gasp. “Hiiik! W-why am I here?”
After Bagan absorbed Frost’s power and took on every last ounce of cold energy, Seleana had been summoned back to Harmonia from the overwhelming mental strain. Yet the place she appeared was anything but ordinary.
As a fire spirit, Seleana should have materialized in the volcanic region ruled by Ifrit, where rivers of lava flowed endlessly. Instead, she found herself standing before Spia.
She was still puzzling over why she had been called to this particular goddess when Spia’s warm gaze and gentle smile fell upon her.
“You’ve made quite an interesting contract, haven’t you?”
Spia oversaw every bond between spirits and their contractors, so she knew exactly who had formed a pact with whom. At her words, Seleana thought of Bagan with a flicker of worry, wondering if he might be searching for her. Though their meeting had begun through a blessing, the bond she shared with him was something she wouldn’t trade for any other contract in the world.
“Not only did he absorb a spirit’s power, he even took in the exact opposite attribute and nearly tore you apart.”
Seleana couldn’t tell whether Spia was angry or genuinely amused. Unable to read the goddess’s true feelings, she simply remained silent and listened.
At that moment, Spia slowly—almost lazily—reached out and stroked Seleana’s lifeless, flame-colored hair. It was the tender gesture of someone who truly cherished spirits.
“Haa…”
Even as she felt Spia’s gentle touch, Seleana struggled to control the freezing power sleeping inside her. A wave of anxiety washed over her, as if the cold might burst free at any second. Sensing this, Spia quietly infused a calming energy into the strands of hair beneath her fingers, soothing the clashing attributes.
In truth, she had been doing this the entire time Seleana was unconscious. The overflowing power had nowhere to go and kept trying to erupt. Something had to be done.
Of course, Spia had her reasons. She had waited until Seleana woke so she could ask the spirit’s own wishes.
“How would you like to become a Spirit King?”
Seleana could only blink, completely lost. After all, her Spirit King was Ifrit, and he was still very much in power.
“Hiiik. As far as I know, there are no vacancies among the Fire Path.”
She tried to decline politely, confirming the facts before speaking, but Spia simply shook her head and offered her a new position.
“Elion came to see me. She told me about Frost, who once broke the old laws among the spirits. We have decided to birth a new Cold Spirit.”
Since Seleana had already heard about this while traveling with Bagan, she was relieved that things were proceeding as expected.
“However, even if a new Cold Spirit King is born, we cannot allow that child to awaken Frost again.”
Seleana’s eyes darted back and forth in confusion. In the end, it meant that Bagan and Elizabeth’s plan had failed.
The scene shifted back several hours.
In the tranquil sea where every water spirit in Harmonia resided, beneath the surface lay an underwater city. Inside its grandest palace, Elestra and Elion were deep in conversation.
Elestra presented a small Icicle Tree to Elion as she spoke.
“Lady Elion. I have brought Frost’s essence from Pangea, preserved as a small spiritual body.”
An unforgettable existence. The Cold Spirit King whom even the Four Great Spirit Kings had no choice but to abandon. At the news that he had been brought here, Elion’s eyes flew wide open.
“Why would you bring him?! He made an unforgivable mistake in Harmonia. Even now, the mere memory of nearly being frozen solid by him sends chills down my spine and raises goosebumps all over my body!”
Elion firmly refused and was about to press Elestra for answers. But the next words made her reconsider.
“The fully grown Icicle Tree in Pangea was exerting a tremendous influence over the surrounding area. My contractor, Elizabeth, along with the one contracted to a fire spirit—Bagan—managed to persuade Frost while trying to resolve the problem.”
Elion calmed herself, eager to hear more. “Tell me everything. What exactly happened?”
With Elion’s permission, Elestra began to recount the story exactly as Bagan and Elizabeth had asked her to.
“At first, Frost—who had been guarding the fully grown Icicle Tree—still had his sanity intact. In fact, he was deeply reflecting on the mistakes he made in the past.”
“Reflecting? Him?”
“Yes. That’s why the contractor named Bagan attempted to speak with him.”
“Bagan… I don’t recall hearing that name among the spirits’ chatter.”
Elestra continued her tale.
“During their conversation, we discovered that the reason Frost disappeared from Harmonia was because of Shade.”
“Shade? You mean the Shadow Spirit King?”
“Correct. He used Frost as a test subject to help his contractor. We still don’t know what kind of experiment it was.”
“So that gloomy fellow was up to something after all, and pretending he knew nothing? We must inform Lady Spia at once!”
Having learned the full story, Elion burned with rage. The proof was the powerful waves now surging across the once-calm sea.
“Please calm yourself. The story isn’t over yet.”
“The one who framed Frost has been revealed—what more is there?! Well… I suppose it isn’t truly over until we punish Shade!”
“That is certainly something that must be done, but it isn’t the priority right now. Frost himself made a request.”
At the name Frost, Elion’s ears perked up.
“Even if it’s only once more, he wishes to stay by Lady Elion’s side.”
Elion couldn’t understand Frost’s feelings, nor could she make sense of what Elestra was saying.
“What am I supposed to do with that?”
But Elestra, who had brought all the answers, explained clearly.
“Shade’s contractor, Jude, planted the Icicle Tree in Pangea and used it to awaken Frost’s mind.”
“So that’s how it happened.”
“Conversely, if we plant and nurture an Icicle Tree here in Harmonia, Frost’s mind will grow once more. However, there is a problem.”
“To awaken Frost again, we would need a powerful cold energy comparable to his own, correct?”
Elion already knew the answer. Only now did she fully understand both Frost’s wish and what Elestra desired.
“You’re saying he would give up his position as Spirit King. What a foolish child.”
Though her words were harsh, Elion’s expression held a trace of pity.
“Very well. I will go speak with Lady Spia immediately. Wait here.”
Elion accepted the Icicle Tree from Elestra and hurried off to where Spia resided, as if every second counted.
When she arrived at Spia’s palace, she was startled to find the goddess already waiting outside, as though she had known Elion would come.
Spia’s deep violet hair fluttered gently. She wore a pale lavender dress adorned with white flower-shaped lace, giving off an aura of benevolence. Yet her eyes, fixed on Elion, were endlessly cold.
“I come before you, Lady Spia, to prove that the Cold Spirit King Frost was not at fault for violating the ancient law that spirits must not interfere with one another.”
Even after she finished speaking, Elion noticed no change in Spia’s expression. Perhaps the goddess was still angry, or perhaps she already knew everything. After all, when it came to Harmonia and the spirits, Spia was omnipotent.
With that thought, Elion continued.
“The reason Frost suddenly appeared in the human realm was because the Icicle Tree I now hold was cut down. And it was cut down by another spirit.”
At that moment, Spia finally spoke.
“I already knew it was Shade’s doing.”
As expected, she had known everything. Yet the fact that she had done nothing despite knowing the truth left Elion bewildered.
“What? What do you mean by that? Then why did you say Frost must be extinguished?”
“It was a stimulus. How could I possibly extinguish my own children? Both Frost and Shade are my beloved children in the end. I cannot bring myself to erase them by my own will.”
Hearing Spia’s words, one particular fact occurred to Elion.
“So that’s why you have never once extinguished a spirit yourself.”
Just as Elion said, aside from spirits that naturally faded away, Spia had never personally erased any of them. She had created a living space for the spirits and willingly taken on the role of their mother. What mother could kill her own child?
Only now did Elion truly understand Spia’s heart. But that also meant the goddess would not punish a spirit no matter what crimes they committed—including Shade, the mastermind behind this incident.
“Then are you saying you will not punish even Shade, who committed such atrocities?!”
“It cannot be helped.”
It cannot be helped. Those were not words Elion ever expected to hear from the goddess she served and respected. She barely held onto her crumbling faith and stated her original purpose. Since Spia already knew everything, she was simply seeking permission.
“Frost has declared that he will relinquish his position as the Cold Spirit King. I humbly beg you to allow a new Cold Spirit to be born. Furthermore, I implore you to let Frost awaken once more when the new Cold Spirit King is born.”
Everything else was beyond her reach. All that mattered was bringing Frost back to life. Having learned how Spia truly felt toward the spirits, Elion no longer held any lingering attachments.
“The birth of the new Cold Spirit King you mentioned is already underway. However, I cannot grant your second request.”
To both Elion and the sleeping Frost, those words were like a bolt from the blue.
“Why not?!”
“There can only ever be one special spirit of a kind. A smaller power can only be consumed by a greater one. Even if Frost awakens, he will soon be devoured by the newly born Spirit King.”
“But—!”
“As a mother, I cannot bear to watch such a thing. Could you? Could you watch Frost suffer all over again after being reborn?”
Elion could not possibly say yes. Even thinking rationally, it would be painful for the newly born Spirit King to consume its predecessor. In the end, Elion gave up.
Clutching the cold white branch so tightly it seemed it might snap, she asked, “Then what should we do with the Icicle Tree?”
“Give it to me. Now that this has happened, I cannot simply stand by. I will create an entirely new Spirit King, fulfill Frost’s wish, and punish Shade.”
“As for the punishment, we could do it right away…”
“No. As you know, a spirit with a contractor can only exist in Pangea. Shade has not returned, fully aware of his own sins.”
Even Spia’s authority could not reach a spirit who had gone beyond her reach. Besides, she had no desire to punish him with her own hands.
Elion felt a wave of despair and asked, “What kind of spirit will it be?”
“A Spirit of Condemnation. It shall become my sword.”
The Spirit of Condemnation. That was the idea Spia had come up with after looking at Seleana. Even for Spia, Shade’s actions had crossed the line, and she intended to punish him somehow. However, because he had a contractor, he was able to remain in Pangea and avoid returning.
But the situation had changed. Because Seleana had a contractor named Bagan.
“The way to bring a contracted spirit back to Harmonia is to sever the link between the medium and the spirit. With a powerful contractor and a Spirit of Condemnation, it is entirely possible. Through this incident, I will also declare that I will no longer forgive any spirit who breaks the rules.”
Elion realized that Spia had made up her mind with great resolve. The goddess had previously claimed there was no way to pursue Shade, but now that excuse had been lifted. The knot in Elion’s heart finally came undone.
“I understand. Then Frost will remain asleep like this?”
“No. Frost’s heart and Seleana’s power will be used to create the new spirit. The newly born spirit will inherit Frost’s consciousness.”
Elion felt an overwhelming surge of gratitude toward Spia, who had even prepared a way for her to sense Frost once more.
“The reason Frost cannot awaken again is because his power has been completely absorbed into you. You will gain a new strength. You can become a special spirit without taking Ifrit’s place.”
“Then… I’ll be able to help Bagan even more, right? Kya.”
“Of course. After all, it is the power of a Spirit King.”
With the single-minded desire to be useful to Bagan, Seleana swallowed her unease, stood up, and spoke to Spia.
“Th-then I will do it.”
Spia had expected her to accept without hesitation.
“Good. Sleep a little longer. When you wake, you will be a new spirit.”
With those words, Spia began her work. She held the Icicle Tree in one hand and placed the other on Seleana’s forehead. Merging fire and cold was no easy task. However, after seeing how Bagan’s power had brought relative harmony to Seleana’s abilities, Spia discovered a method.
A short while later, the fiery hue surrounding Seleana’s body began to change, and her size gradually increased. To Spia it was merely an instant, but to Seleana it felt like an endlessly long time.
“Now, will you open your eyes?”
The Seleana who had been lying in the place Spia had tended to was gone. In her place, a spirit wearing a black dress opened her eyes.
“Lady Spia. It is good to see you again.”
Her beautiful voice and resolute aura proved that the spirit Spia had desired had been born.
Fwoosh!
Blue flames that pursued sin. Within the burning fire, Frost’s heart could be seen. It held the object of its vengeance, then twisted violently. Shade’s form flickered within the flames, bringing a smile to Spia’s face.
“What is your name?”
Spia granted the newly born spirit the right to choose her own name. Without hesitation, the spirit answered.
“Sally sounds good.”
“Very well. From now on, you are Sally, the Spirit King of Condemnation.”
And so, the Spirit King of Condemnation, Sally, was born.