The words evoked memories of Zelas, the white fire in his eyes beating slightly, and his gaze passed through the familiar eagle helmet, through the millennium.

Zelas's parents were captured by the Empire, and he was born a slave who lived only in endless slavery and obedience, so the boy swore that he would never let himself fall victim to hard labor and flogging like the other slaves.

But the slave boy's father lost a leg in a construction project that was left to die in vain on a construction site that was only to erect a monument to the emperor's favorite horse. Fearing that he would repeat his mistakes, his mother begged a famous tomb architect to take him as an apprentice, but Zelas was caught up in the favor by his cleverness and never saw her again.

And at that time, Zelas swore that this pedantic empire would be overthrown by him!

Taking advantage of his position, he often haunts the Nasus Library, and accidentally meets the most disliked prince, Azir. At the time, he was struggling with an ancient text, and Zelas deliberately violated the slave taboo to help him decipher this ancient text in order to realize his ideals, so the two became friends from then on.

At the time, he only wanted to use Azir to steal the rights needed for a country, but in later on, he gradually became more and more sincere because Azir promised to set him free.

He put aside his initial idea for a moment and went all out to accompany Azir, who later proved himself in an assassination attempt against members of the royal family, saving the young Azir from the Assassins.

Azir pleaded with his father, the lord of a nation, to reward the slave boy and set him free, but received no response, because he was the most unpopular prince, and because the slave was not eligible for a reward, and because the emperor was in a bad mood that day, because several of his favored princes had died at the hands of the Assassins, leaving Azir alone.

And a lot more happened that day.

The day of the assassination was the closest Zeroth had ever been to the Emperor, and he was anxious to be brought before the Emperor by Azir to intercede, but he was thus in the sight of the Ascendant Guards accompanying him.

The Ascended can see through flesh and bones, through human souls, through the twinkling betrayal in his soul, and he publicly declares what Zelath thinks: "We will ascend, and you will be chained to the rubble, waiting for the sands of time to swallow you all." No, it won't be like that again, there won't be a next time. The chosen golden monarch will not accept the embrace of the sun and will ascend to godhood. A slave will take his place. ”

It was the closest he had come to death, having nearly died at the hands of the Assassins to protect Azir, and then nearly being killed instantly by the Ascended for his inner thoughts revealed - a slave deserving of death for even a moment of imaginary freedom.

If it hadn't been for Azir's desperate efforts to keep him, he might have died.

After that day, Azir rebelled after years of absence, and he swore that he and Zeroth would become brothers, and grant him freedom in front of countless Shurima people! Zelas, who almost lost his life without a reward, also had a dark idea because of this encounter: since the emperor can't give him freedom, then let Azir become the emperor!

Under Renekton's tutelage, Azir learned to wield knives and guns, command soldiers, and read the ups and downs of the battlefield. And Zelas has also risen in status because Azir has become the sole successor of the empire. Thanks to Azir's efforts, his abilities gained the support of the nobles and the approval of the people, and he became the heir to the sought-after empire, but he still failed to be recognized by his father.

Knowing that Azir's position had not been cemented, Zelas used his position to pursue all the knowledge he could find, at whatever cost and from whatever source. All efforts were made to further expand his knowledge and ambitions, both of which skyrocketed at an unrestrained pace.

Zeroth's rebellious thoughts left him a curse, and just as Azir used his influence to marginalize Zelas and replace his identity, Zelas became more and more bold to use darker methods to corrupt every fetus in the queen's womb, making it impossible for the queen to conceive.

As long as there is no second heir to the throne, Azir is safe.

He was well hidden, but as time went on, rumors of a curse began to circulate in the palace, and Zelas would ensure that every rumor would not be passed on for long, and even Azir did not tell him the truth when he asked him. He continued to use dark means to help Azir clear the way, and in the course of the conspiracy, Zelas's original desire to escape his slave birth had turned into an ambition to take power, but he was still looking for an excuse for his conscience.

Every time he murdered someone, he told himself that he was doing it to protect his friend's life.

Despite Zelas's intrigues, the young queen gave birth to a son. However, after years of use, Zelas became more proficient in witchcraft, summoning countless lightning bolts to kill the queen and the newborn prince, and also killing the incoming king in the palace, and then blamed a group of mages who were vassal to the empire.

Azir ascended the throne, and the boy who was once nameless and nameless finally got his wish.

But Azir found that he was still a long way from abolishing slavery. The empire was based on the flesh and blood of slaves, and many nobles relied on forced labor to maintain their wealth and power. Such a stubborn foundation could not be overturned overnight, and Azir's plan would have fallen short if it had been revealed too soon, for which he had not even told Zeroth.

And at this time, Zelas couldn't wait. He repeatedly approached Azir, hoping that Azir would abolish Shurima's slavery system and identify him as his brother, but Azir rejected Zeroth's proposal to abolish slavery every time, and even took the trouble to remind Zelas that he was just a slave and that he should remember his place.

On that day, the last vestiges of nobility in Zelas's heart were completely gone, but he bowed respectfully, ostensibly accepting Azir's decision, but secretly plotting to take the land for himself. Slaves never had a chance to stand on the solar disk, so Zelas began to instill vanity in the Emperor, allowing the Emperor to inflate himself, implanting in Azir's mind a vision of the Ascended unifying the world, thus creating opportunities for himself to steal the power of Ascension.

Over the next few decades, Azir's assistance in Zelas conquered countless enemies, expanding Shurima's territory to an unprecedented size. He ruled the empire with a stern and just hand, implemented New Deal reforms, improved the living standards of slaves, and gradually accumulated prestige. He firmly believes that he only needs a single ascension to gain the authority of the university scholar Nasus and the great general Renekton, enough to justifiably return the freedom of Zelath and enough to grant amnesty to the world!

Finally, the day of Ascension has arrived!

Azir proclaimed the abolition of slavery before his ascension, embraced Zelas, and made him his eternal brother. But there was no turning back, and with a roar of anger and grief, Zelas pushed Azir off the altar and watched with tears in his eyes as his former friend was burned to ashes and took his place.

But the sun does not tolerate betrayal! The empire finally collapsed in the silence of Azir and the mad paranoia of Zelas!

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