When he came to, he found himself in a fog-shrouded wasteland, with what looked like a wide river flowing right before his eyes. And standing in the distance atop something resembling a skiff was a familiar figure.
"It seems you didn't end up coming to this side."
The upper half of his face was obscured by the fog, but judging by his attire and build, it was Anra—one of the fellow Six Great Generals.
"This side?"
"It's a little surprising, but that monster seems to have a soft side after all. Well, I suppose that might be for the best."
"What the hell have you been talking about?!"
Asura raised his voice in irritation. Anra was an old acquaintance he had known ever since joining the Evil Army—the kind of bond you couldn't shake no matter how much you wanted to. A gloomy bastard who always spoke in riddles like this.
"The fact that you can't comprehend the meaning of my words is proof enough that our paths have diverged."
"I've been telling you I don't get what you mean, dammit!"
Driven by an inexplicable, intense restlessness, Asura shouted back.
"Naturally. To the living, this place is merely a world of fleeting slumber. You cannot properly grasp the contents of a conversation here. So, it's fine if you don't understand right now."
Anra's tone was calm, yet carried a severity that brooked no argument. Even so—
"Seriously, what the hell happened to you?!"
Asura demanded an explanation, his voice sharp and aggressive.
"Asura, weren't you striving to become the strongest King? In that case, at least land a scratch on that monster before you come over to this side. If you manage to achieve that miracle—"
Static suddenly cut into Anra's words.
"H-Hey?"
"I see, so that's a rule that cannot be conveyed. If you achieve a miracle and hear it from that thing directly, that will be when..."
Watching Anra mutter quietly to himself, Asura roared at him.
"Don't go jumping to conclusions on your own!"
"Ha! I take it back. There's no way someone like you could ever become the strongest King. You might as well keep struggling toward that pointless goal along with those suffocating subordinates of yours!"
Hearing him suddenly shift back to his usual sarcastic tone brought an odd sense of relief.
"Tch! None of your damn business!"
Asura shot back with venom, just like he always did.
"A final piece of advice for your pathetic self. Watch out for..."
"Huh? Who's that?"
Though he asked, Asura felt as if he somehow recognized the name that had slipped from Anra's lips.
"Looks like time is just about up. See you. Struggle your heart out."
Without answering Asura's question, Anra turned his back and offered that flippant parting remark. Instantly, the fog thickened, and Asura's consciousness sank once more into the slumber.
—Notice from the Subjugation Compendium— Registration of Asura into the Subjugation Compendium has been completed. Likewise, Zenki and Goki will be registered into the Subjugation Compendium as Asura's kin. Hereafter, their souls and physical bodies will be drastically modified using the magical power of the Subjugation Compendium's master, Kai Heinemann.