This takes place three months after events in Sentinel Warriors

"Ah, sister Age. What have you to report? Is our champion nearly ready?"

"Physically she has been ready for some time. She is a natural-born warrior. But she is not quite ready emotionally. We have been filling her head with lies and hate, but she was so resistant in the beginning. I had to be careful not to destroy her spirit completely, though. Human’s are so fragile. I need her warrior’s fire intact for her to be of any use to us as the Nemesis."

Apate sniffed in disdain. "I don’t know why we need the help of a mere mortal. It is beneath us."

Moros slid towards her like an inky shadow. "In case you’ve forgotten, little sister, we are too weak to directly manifest in the mortal realm—only Hecate could do that. This all would have been easier with Hecate’s help. She was the strongest of us, but she was greedy and impatient. She didn’t want to share dominion with us, her siblings. Stupid cow! She not only weakened our position, but she got herself caught! She even inadvertently brought the Sentinel Warriors back to the world! Their power and that of the Ronins proved her downfall. That is why we must divide them. Defeat the Sentinels, then the Ronins. As long as they work together, we will never take back the Earth. Though our abilities are limited, we can still manipulate humans with our powers of persuasion and illusion. We can magnify and intensify their unconscious thoughts and emotions—they are vulnerable through their dreams. That is the only influence we still have in the mortal realm."

Age laughed. "I for one, am looking forward to this. Humans are such fun to manipulate—so gullible and stupid. My part will be simple since mortals jump at the chance to hate one another. They look for any reason to argue and fight."

Apate stopped pouting. "Maybe you’re right. I suppose this could be fun. We can’t be all work, now can we?"

"Not as long as you don’t get carried away." Moros looked into one of the many scrying windows floating in the chamber, zooming in on Mia’s house. "Our future dominion of the Earth depends on all of us doing our parts."

"What about Hecate? Should we try to free her? We could use her power."

Age spat at Apate’s suggestion. "Let her endure whatever fate she brought upon herself. She was willing to cast us aside--we should return the favor."

Moros pondered this for a few moments. "Yes, she has been foolish and has shown us no regard, but she is still one of us. She’s been trapped in the Jewel of Life for a while--perhaps she has learned from her stupidity. If you have an opportunity, try to get her back, but she is not our top priority. We cannot let her wreck our plans now. I have a way to separate the Ronins and the Sentinels. We have to trick the Ronins into leaving this dimension. I can trap them there for a time, but we must destroy the Sentinels quickly before the Ronins can breach my barriers and return to help them. If we do this correctly, the Sentinels will all be dead by the time the Ronins get back. Then it will be their turn! Will these armored mortals gone, nothing will stand in our way."

Moros glided among the scrying windows, glancing at the scenes of humans all over the world. "Let the mortals enjoy what pleasures they may, for they shall soon feel the touch of true darkness as it sweeps away the world they know. Nyx, Great Mother Darkness, in your name your children will seize power once more! Then the mortal vermin shall be purged from the universe."