Kai/History

Kai was sent into the body of a centurion of the Sun Legion, the army of the Ivory City.^[1][2] He got entangled in the conflict between the Sun people and the Warmongers for the first months of the Nightmare.^[2]

Despite his humble Aspect and lacking battle prowess, was able to stand out and led his soldiers to victory.^[1] After many weeks of battles and bloodshed, the Warmongers were pushed back, and his centuria was recalled back to the Ivory City, to rest and recuperate from the hardships of war.^[3]

After a month, the people of Ivory City chose him and six of his most brave and loyal soldiers to be sacrificed to the Ivory Dragon. Amused by his reaction, the dragon spoke to Kai and told his tale. Knowing the truth Kai, asked the dragon to spare him and his soldiers but the dragon said that he never accepted an unwilling sacrifice. So he was spared but his soldiers turned into ash.^[3]

He returned to the city too injured to move. When he was seen alive by the citizens of the Ivory City, they were stunned, scared, and angry that they built a pyre, tied him to a stake, and burned him. He somehow broke his binding but was horribly burned. He flew away from the city and somehow survived.^[3]

Eventually, he managed to escape and made his way east. The journey was slow and torturous because of how terribly mangled his body was, but he somehow made it to the Iron Hand island alive. There, Effie had only left an ominous message imploring them to not try to find her.^[2]

Consumed by terrible pain and despair, he left his own message on the island and continued to the Sanctuary, where he heard that stragglers like him could find refuge and shelter. He remained in there since, trying to recover as much strength as he could and hoping that the others were going to read the message he had left and come to the Sanctuary, too.^[2]

During their assault to the Ivory City, Kai managed to stab the Ivory Lord with the Glass Knife, albeit on the beast's tongue.^[4]

The roles the Spell assigned to Mordret and him were warriors of Twilight. A terrible battle occurred in Twilight countless years ago, with the forces of Defilement attempting to destroy the city. The streets of Twilight became a battlefield, with countless humans fighting against the abominations and some turning into abominations themselves. A powerful sorcery awakened, swallowing all of Twilight. This resulted in them being trapped in frozen time upon entering the Nightmare.^[5]

After the trap was deactivated, Kai found himself in a dim throne room. He heard about an evil dragon and an army of alien warriors. The evil dragon was a powerful, corrupted version of him who betrayed his friends and was now trying to kill them. The truth was undeniable, and it hurt more than breaking his ribs.^[6] The battle ended with the Dread Lord dead, killed by his arrow and earned him a [Dragonslayer] Attribute.^[7][8]

Somewhere near Verge, he went on a scouting mission with Effie and Jet.^[9]

After the war ended and new Domain emerged, the Seven Princesses of Song accepted Nephis as their new Queen, With their help the transition on the western reaches of Dream Realm experienced very little tumult. Ravenheart is now ruled by Kai with his official title as "Steward of the West".^[10]

When Kai invoked Asterion's name at the Lake of Tears, the Dreamspawn manifested as if he had always been present, knowing that answering the call of a loyal companion of Changing Star would allow him to appear as a savior against Mordret and weaken the Longing Domain's loyalty to the Immortal Flame, leading to a confrontation where Mordret mocked him through Reflections and their clash devastated the battlefield, ultimately ending without victory when Mordret destroyed the Citadel to prevent its capture.^[11][12]

In another memory, Kai had previously defended the Jade Palace by immobilizing thousands of Awakened and refusing Seishan's demand to surrender the Citadel, warning that even if she claimed it, it would truly belong to Asterion rather than her.^[13]

Despite Kai's resistance and the support of Gilead and the Supreme Devil left by the Lord of Shadows, Seishan forced civilians to walk off the great bridge to compel Kai's surrender, and when Gilead charged her, his wounds worsened into catastrophic bleeding until he collapsed in a pool of blood at her feet, after which, with Kai unable to act and civilians continuing to die, Seishan became the master of the Jade Palace.^[14]

Through memories witnessed by Cassie, Seishan was revealed to have reclaimed the Jade Palace as Asterion's servant, subtly influenced by his implanted thoughts to plan a decisive trap against Mordret, while Kai was captured, chained, mutilated, and rendered voiceless (Seishan torn out his tongue) to prevent him from using his power, though he continued to resist silently.^[13]

Jet encountered the Ravenous Fiend in a diminished form, who silently led her deeper inside. Eventually, she found Kai in a dire condition, leaving her shocked and dismayed at what had become of him.^[15]

Jet and Kai hid in an alcove of the Jade Palace after escaping Kai's runic cell, while Jet assessed the dire state of the world and Kai's weakened condition, his tongue missing and his essence nearly depleted. When Kai insisted they strike at the heart of the Jade Palace, Jet agreed they could seize the Great Citadel and later escape to the waking world, reasoning that its loss would disrupt Asterion's power. Though she warned that her methods usually left corpses, she reluctantly promised to kill as few as possible, knowing the innocent guards and possible enthralled Nightmare Creatures would make taking the Citadel far from easy, before ordering the Ravenous Fiend to keep the Jade Palace from burning down.^[16]

Jet, Kai, and Fiend had reached the Gateway of the Jade Palace, but they sensed a chilling, oppressive presence coming from within the great hall. Inside, they discovered a jade board from Ariel's Game and an enormous Cursed Devil in the form of a radiant white dragon curled around the Gateway, which Jet identified as one of the sealed figures from the Game and warned was far beyond their ability to fight. After Cassie contacted them and the importance of the mission was made clear, Kai transformed into a black dragon and challenged the Cursed Devil directly, drawing it away into the sky. Jet and Fiend were then left behind in the freezing, oppressive hall.^[17]

Kai lured the immensely powerful Cursed Devil away from the city and fled at maximum speed, leading the white dragon into the depths of a mystical volcano to exploit its intense heat. Enduring excruciating pain as he burned alive, Kai dove ever deeper into the molten earth, hoping the volcanic heat would weaken the dragon's overwhelming cold power.^[18]

After escaping the volcano and realizing the white dragon would be occupied in a devastating battle beneath the mountain, Kai recalled Sunny's past recklessness, only to suddenly remember him and react with shock.^[19]

In Chapter 3034, Kai, Effie, Jet, Morgan, Seishan, and Nightwalker were among the strongest champions of humanity who volunteered to challenge the Fourth Nightmare. They returned to the site of the Battle of the Black Skull. Before entering the Nightmare Gate, each reflected on personal reasons for taking the risk. Kai struggled against the increasingly overpowering Call.

The tentative plan divides the remaining Sovereigns between the Dream Realm and the waking world. Jet, Kai, and Effie are assigned to defend Earth and oversee the resettlement of humanity. Effie's Soul Garden is particularly useful for accelerating the evacuation.^[20] (Refer to Division of Power)