Nightdemon sighed. "Isn't it normal for us to take advantage of each other? But by no means should you think of yourself as a pawn. That was my intent, yes, but the transformation was ultimately effected by the king of keys himself. There was a very real possibility that the king of keys could have perished."

Yang Ze frowned. "You're trying to claim that the king of keys' metamorphosis has nothing to do with you?"

Nightdemon shrugged. "Think what you will. There's no direct relationship, but if you want to consider an indirect one, by all means. The king of keys' metamorphosis was a result of his own will. No matter what stimuli I contrived, without exercising his own will, he...