Sovereigns/History

The Supremes betrayed one of their own, Broken Sword, leading to an irreparable breakdown of trust. With Smile of Heaven was gone, and her lingering influence—her "ghost" in the form of Broken Sword—was also gone. Without their presence, there was nothing left to hold the Supremes together.^[1]

Anvil feared Ki Song, not because she was currently a threat, but because she had the potential to become one. Both Anvil and Ki Song feared the Dreamspawn, calling him a monster, implying that he was the most dangerous of them all. Most importantly, the Supremes had ceased to be human—they were now entities tied to Domains, each governing a unique form of power. This transformation made them fundamentally incapable of trust or cooperation.^[1]

The Supremes initially attempted to maintain balance through a system of mutual deterrence:

• The Dreamspawn held the heir of Valor hostage, ensuring that Anvil remained restrained.^[1]
• Anvil's sword loomed over Ki Song, preventing her from acting against him.^[1]
• Ki Song suppressed the spread of the Dreamspawn's name, limiting his influence.^[1]

However, this delicate balance quickly collapsed because those who have the Will can never submit to being suppressed.^[1]

• Anvil abandoned his own son without hesitation, showing how little familial bonds meant to him.^[1]
• Ki Song discovered how to escape the cage of her body, nullifying Anvil's sword deterrent.^[1]
• The Dreamspawn built a hidden cult of followers, ensuring his name could never truly be erased.^[1]

This breakdown revealed the fundamental truth of Supremacy that those who attain great power cannot accept submission, making conflict inevitable.^[1]

Initially, Ki Song, Anvil, and the Dreamspawn maintained a balance of power while establishing their Domains and expanding their influence. However, once they reached their territorial limits without encroaching on each other, tension grew. Both Anvil and Ki Song sought control over Stormsea, leading to a power struggle. Meanwhile, the Dreamspawn grew increasingly enigmatic, further destabilizing their fragile alliance.^[2]

Ki Song had dismissed any mystical or hidden motives behind their attack on the Immortal Flame clan. Instead, she had stated that the reason was simple: cold logic and pragmatism. Once a war began, one did not turn their back on an enemy until they were truly dead. At that time, Immortal Flame, Broken Sword, and Smile of Heaven had perished, leaving only Nephis alive. Even though Nephis had been young and powerless, they had known that children grew up. Given time, she could have inherited the Fire, become a Saint of immense power, and led a movement for revenge. To prevent that future threat, Anvil and Ki Song had attempted to kill her before she could fully inherit her lineage.^[1]

Ki Song and Anvil were never fooled by Nephis' pretense of submission. However, their hands were tied—because the Dreamspawn had already claimed her, just as he had previously claimed Mordret. The Dreamspawn has a deep interest in Divine Lineages, as evidenced by his actions.^[1]

The First Generation who uncovered Lineage Memories consisted of four figures: Immortal Flame, Warden of Valor, Nightwalker, The Dreamspawn's own mother. Ki Song became the fifth to inherit a Divine Lineage in the next generation. The sixth is the Lord of Shadows, who they assumed had inherited the last Divine Lineage of Shadow God.^[1]

As the Dreamspawn pursued his interest in the moon, Anvil and Ki Song seized the opportunity to eliminate him. They massacred his followers, erased his name from all records, forbade any mention of him, and eliminated anyone who had encountered him. Since he had no Citadels under his control and the Sovereigns had concealed their existence from the world, his Domain collapsed instantly. Stranded on the moon with his power diminished, the Dreamspawn survived but could only exert limited influence from space.^[2]

With the Dreamspawn effectively removed, the balance of power between Anvil and Ki Song shattered. Anvil attempted to kill Ki Song by piercing her heart, but she refused to die. This marked the beginning of their clandestine conflict, as both gathered forces and positioned key players in preparation for the ultimate battle.Their war was driven by the belief that only the most vicious ruler could emerge as the sole ruler of the world.^[2]

When Cassie confronted the true purpose behind the war, Ki Song responded with the claim that everything they had done was for "the greater good"—the preservation of humanity. She acknowledged that their methods were ruthless but insisted that their intentions were always to build a better world for future generations.^[3]

Ki Song admitted that both she and Anvil were still too weak, despite their near-immortality and unrivaled power among humans. Their true adversaries were not other Supremes but the ancient, corrupted deities that ruled the Dream Realm. To stand a chance against these beings, they needed to complete their Domains and increase their strength.^[3]

Ki Song explained that humanity could not afford luxuries, including its current population size. She argued that spreading resources too thin would lead to total annihilation, while a smaller, controlled population could survive and produce enough Awakened warriors. The Chain of Nightmares had already provided a sufficient number of people to sustain humanity's survival needs.^[3]

Despite preparations for over a decade, the burden of sustaining so many people—through food, shelter, and protection—was becoming overwhelming. Supplies from Earth were dwindling, and as the situation on Earth worsened, future deliveries through the Dream Gate would become even less reliable.^[3]

The waking world was deteriorating at an ever-increasing speed. When Earth was fully consumed, the Dream Realm would undergo a massive transformation—its geography rewritten, Nightmare Creatures migrating in vast numbers, and Death Zones expanding. In such a scenario, neither the Song Domain nor the Sword Domain would survive. However, a unified Human Domain under a single Supreme ruler might have a chance to withstand the chaos.^[3]

Ki Song admitted that even if she and Anvil had ambitions to conquer the Fifth Nightmare, they did not dare take the risk. Unlike past challengers like Immortal Flame, Warden, and Nightwalker, they did not have the luxury of numerous Masters or Awakened to replace them if they failed. If all Supremes of humanity perished, there would be no one left to protect humanity from the Nightmare Spell's tyranny.^[4]

The nature of the Fifth Nightmare was unknown, but it was certain that Apotheosis (becoming Sacred) would come at a price. Sacred beings would likely be unable to enter the waking world, cutting off Dream Gates and severing the link between the two realms. More concerning was the irreversible transformation—becoming Sacred meant a complete departure from human nature.^[4]

Cassie deduced that the war was designed for Ki Song and Anvil to consume each other's power, ultimately creating a unified and immensely powerful Domain. Ki Song confirmed this, implying that the conflict was necessary to forge a leader strong enough to protect humanity's future.^[4]

Cassie questioned whether all the death and suffering could have been avoided if one of them had simply surrendered. Ki Song dismissed the idea, arguing that a Sovereign who was willing to give up without a fight would not be strong enough to stand against the greater threats of the world. The very nature that made them Supreme also made it impossible for them to capitulate without a thorough battle.^[4]

In the final battle of the Domain War, Ki Song initially fought Anvil^[5] As the Citadels fell and the Sovereigns' domain diminished, Nephis appeared on the battlefield demanding peace—but truly sought vengeance.^[6] Sunny's Nameless Temple reappeared mid-battle, triggering a trap that set the stage for the downfall of the Sovereigns.^[7]

Anvil made a devastating move, severing the sky and sending the Ivory Island crashing down.^[8] As all-out war ignited, Sunny confronted Anvil, clashing in a brutal duel of shadows and blades, while Nephis faced a monstrous Queen of Worms in her radiant form.^[9] Just when all is lost in the middle of the battle, Nephis and Sunny managed to be Supremes themselves without the help of Nightmare Spell.^[10][11][12] By the end of it, Sunny beheaded Anvil^[13] while Nephis burned Ki Song to death.^[14]