“Is that right?” Asterios raised a curious brow at the emotionless lady. “Can you handle the issue from here, or point us towards the source of it?”

  Spending a few long seconds staring seemingly into nothing, Abyss let out a delicate sigh. “I’m afraid not.”

  “Why?” Miria tilted her head.

  “Whatever magic or technique my nemesis employed, it didn’t only envelop this realm with an impenetrable shell. He used the core of this dimension as the energy source for this curse, that much I can tell,” Abyss explained. “There are things I can sense and influence, but I lost control over this realm almost completely. That doesn’t include its inhabitants, however. May you find yourselves in a pinch, I might be able to assist you. Just keep in mind that I would rather not poison this fruit of my labor if I don’t necessarily have to.”

  “Observe, not interfere, we remember.” The panthergirl sniffed. “Doesn’t sound that helpful.”

  “Don’t blame her too much,” Asterios requested softly. “We are burdened by this seal quite a lot too. Don’t know if you noticed, but we are cut off from the others back in our realms.”

  “Oh.” Miria froze briefly. “Oh no.”

  “It did feel like it was way too quiet,” Tina commented. “Professor would have definitely come up with some dirty joke about us penetrating the veil or something.”

  Selene chuckled daintily. “You are starting to think like her.”

  “Oh gods…” The Summoner girl shivered as her cheeks flushed a bit.

  “It’s alright. To some extent.” Asterios reassured his distressed feline mate with an affectionate hug. “We can still sense everyone through our bonds and connections. It simply looks like we won’t be able to chat casually. They surely can still feel our presence too. Just think of this as a short vacation trip to take a break from Grea’s constant teasing.”

  “I pity Bryn. She’ll have to suffer through the unimaginable while being the sole recipient of Grea’s uncouth jokes.” Selene smirked impishly.

  “Maybe it won’t be so bad,” Silvia disagreed. “They seemed to have grown a little closer since the beginning. I’m sure our crimson-skinned friend won’t go too far. She knows how much Ast tries to make Bryn comfortable around everyone. Undermining that would get her a heavy scolding from him. As crude as she sometimes is, that’s not something she would wish for.”

  “You forget the possibility that she might actually enjoy it.” Tina giggled, causing the fiery princess to roll her eyes amusingly.

  “I didn’t mean it that way,” she added, meeting the blue-haired girl’s gaze.

  “No matter what, we won’t find out until we go back.” Asterios ran his fingers through his hair. “Let’s focus on what we can influence. This core, do we have to find a way to reach the heart of this world somewhere underneath us to dispel this seal?”

  “I don’t think so.” Abyss shook her head. “Fiddling with the energy source of a star, which is what I used to mold this small realm into what it currently is, would be close to a death wish. It’s already been processed by me, so any alterations could destabilize it, resulting in an unimaginable implosion.”

  “Then how did he use it to power his spell?” Selene hummed while stroking her chin.

  “During the time he spent here alongside me, he must have prepared some kind of a ritual site that connected with the core,” the mocha-skinned lady continued. “I’m not sure if it’s limited to one central location or if it’s a scattered array with numerous spiritual spots that will need to be deactivated from the first to the last one. But, given enough time, I should be able to gather more information by comparing my memories of this place from before the sealing with its current state.”

  “That’s okay. In the end, we do have a guide with us who might know a thing or two about the current affairs of this world,” Asterios said, turning around to face Umbra. “I have to say, though, I didn’t think you would take the form of a massive raven even in here.”

  A deep rumble traveled through the air as the Lord of Shadows chuckled mirthfully. “I take many shapes, out of which most are not so pleasant to the eye, with the goal behind that being intimidation, obviously, but I felt like something you are already used to would be a good choice. Besides, I took a liking to those avian creatures from your realm, Master. But, if you think that doesn’t match your expectations, then…”

  The swirly shadows making up Umbra’s current form stirred frantically. His body compressed and began molding itself into something much smaller. The texture remained more or less the same, a deep black smoke-like substance with misty tendrils of the same color wafting off its surface. Now, though, it wasn’t shaped to look like a bird.

  After a short moment of transformation, in front of everyone stood a roughly humanoid creature, judging by the general build, a male. The dark, featureless form had only two sharp purplish spots for eyes, grimly releasing fumes of the same color. Its height reached about a head higher than Asterios was tall, forcing his group to look up at the towering figure.

  But those elements were not the most unique ones.

  Umbra’s new body wore what looked like a butler outfit with a tailcoat. Save for the bottom half. Anything under his belt was gone, but everything above was meticulously detailed, juggling gray and violet shades for the core and auxiliary parts respectively. The outfit was complete with even a top hat, and after the wearer snapped his fingers, also a silvery monocle on a fancy chainlet and a stylish cane of the same spiritual material.

  The only thing lacking to complete the image was a slightly curled-up mustache, but that might look more comical than serious on an almost empty and featureless face.

  “Is this form better, Master?” Umbra asked, resting both hands atop the head of his cane.

  Asterios whistled in awe. “If you showed up like this back at home, you would capture as much attention as Abyss’ appearance. I don’t think anyone would dare to doubt your capabilities when faced with such a menacing visage. Not that your bird avatar isn’t great or anything.”

  “I would rather remain less conspicuous in your and other realms,” the Duke of Umbra said. “The more people underestimate me or think of me as just some small and insignificant familiar, the worse for them. Here, however, we are inside my domain. While I might or might not be the most powerful entity in this cursed space, my name and spiritual signature do carry some meaning, respect, and fear. It’s in our best interest to display myself as much as we can in hopes of avoiding unnecessary conflicts that can simply be resolved with my rank or power.”

  “That’s a valuable approach,” Silvia agreed. “People who can do both are fairly rare. It often boils down to them focusing either on showing off or hiding away. It’s a matter of ego most of the time. With great power comes a strong desire to remind everyone of it.”

  “What you speak of is true.” He tipped his hat at her politely. “And it’s fairly common in this cutthroat world. Yet, many of us have been humbled by a certain entity that invaded our space some time ago.”

  “Kaguya,” Asterios whispered.

  “Precisely.” Umbra nodded. “Many confident beings fell under her might. Or her and her mate’s might since she wasn’t left alone in our home. At least a few beings should have learned their lesson, including myself. Did that change how the entire realm functions? Definitely not. But power levels and ranks became much more pronounced.”

  “Huh. So there were some benefits from her sudden appearance,” Miria mused.

  “At least for us,” Selene added. “We can use this to our advantage. If I understood it correctly, we are going to flaunt our power to discourage weaker creatures from messing with us, right?”

  “I think so.” Asterios nodded. “I just hope it won’t lure in stronger ones.”

  “Those would find a reason for a challenge no matter if we were weak or strong,” Umbra shared. “For the petty reason of existing near them, our lives would be deemed forfeit. With a clear difference in strength, we would be deemed an appropriate opponent to battle. There’s nothing much we can do if we stumble on one of those types. We can only minimize the number of encounters by getting rid of the other group right from the get-go.”

  “Therefore, we should get ready.” Selene grinned, capturing everyone’s attention.

  She twirled around as a bluish aura surrounded her. Tail after tail appeared behind her back until she brought out all eleven. The spiritual energy she manifested slowly settled over her clothes and fur, forming the familiar cascading cyan plates that were partially see-through. Until she donned the translucent helmet, she kept spinning, finishing her showy display with a delicate bow, showcasing the protection surrounding even her tails.

  Right away, all the other ladies took a page out of her book, sharing a quick glance and smile.

  Miria changed next, drawing on her bloodline. Her transformation was getting quicker and quicker the more she used it, and in the span of one long growl, she was covered in soft but extremely durable fur, gaining some feline features here and there. She couldn’t emanate a powerful spiritual presence like her beastfolk sister-mate, but the bloodlust that wafted from the feral panthergirl could frighten an S-rank adventurer within a glimpse.

  Tina didn’t rely on much more protection than what Hydran offered her by enveloping her body with a water membrane, but there was one more option she could use now. Closing her eyes and deepening her connection with Asterios, she drew on his lineage to strengthen herself, using the small kernels of draconic energy he had infused her with over time as they grew closer together. As a result, her legs, arms, shoulders, neck, and partially also cheeks were adorned with beautiful azure scales. Additionally, she gained a rather fierce tail and mesmerizing vertical pupils. A slight coil of deadly water circled her figure like a floating shawl.

  Silvia couldn’t be left behind, of course. But, instead of setting herself ablaze straight from the start, the fiery princess mirrored Selene’s approach. Similar plates of condensed spiritual energy decorated her coat and armor. However, while hers were see-through too, they were also on fire. Gentle but threatening flames sizzled from underneath them and from between her skin and equipment, not to mention her hair, which was made of literal fire now. The amber tiara adorned it neatly by hovering right above her head. Asterios could also appreciate the coiling Lesser Dragons wrapped around her forearms, reminiscent of their many bouts and duels.

  Watching all that happen, Althea gladly joined in. Everyone watched as the Dragon lady covered her body in emerald scales with much more detail and control than what Tina had displayed. Asterios had already witnessed some of it during their rather intimate moment, but it still inspired him each time. The pretty plates formed enchanting lines and sections cupping his mentor’s jaw, cheeks, and up to her forehead, where they protected it down to the bridge of her nose. Naturally, she didn’t lack the tail, a much longer appendage compared to Tina’s recreation. Even a less experienced person could easily spot the difference between a real Dragon in a humanoid form and a human imitating one through their mate.

  Then, all the faces turned to one person.

  Asterios.

  He chuckled and shook his head. There would most likely not be a bigger flex than him strutting around as a True Dragon, but hopefully, just a half would be enough for now. He recalled all the lessons from Althea and drew on both of his Hearts. As his skin was covered in red and black scales in the same fashion as hers had been, he also sprouted vicious vertical horns and a thick tail. The amount of raw power he released into the surroundings caused the magnificent plates to shimmer as he was surrounded by a layer of spiritually charged air. Not to mention the faint tongues of crimson and onyx mist floating up from his clothes.

  There was no way the natives of this realm wouldn’t know his might.

  “This will be good training for all of you,” Althea said with a smile, roaming her green eyes over the entire group. “You haven’t had the chance to stay in your transformations for longer periods of time. Here, we will need to remain alert without a moment lost.”

  “I’m already in great control of mine!” Miria proudly puffed out her chest. “I’ve had lots of time to practice at home! There are barely any situations where I lose control of my shift! Well, maybe save for sleeping. I seem to relax too much and pop out of it by accident, ehehe~”

  Asterios chuckled and brushed his fingers over her furry cheek, enjoying how she purred lovingly back at him. “We’ll take turns to keep watch overnight so it won’t be that much of a problem. I don’t think we’ll find many cities with friendly inns here, so get ready to camp out the entire time we are on this quest. Right, Umbra?”

  “While that might be correct, there still exist communities gathered around one spot. With just a little bit of a show, it should be possible to tame them, showing them who’s the boss, which should result in us securing a relatively safe place to rest,” Umbra replied with a noticeable smirk in his tone. “The most commonly accepted and respected currency here is might, in the end. Your opponents will feel blessed just by not being consumed after experiencing a total defeat.”

  “Talking with one’s fists? I already like this place.” Selene cracked her knuckles, her tails shivering with anticipation.

  Snickering, Asterios reached within himself to check up on one more person. ~How are you feeling, Tia? Does this realm or its barrier affect you in any way? I don’t think there’s any flora here, and you are a Dryad, even if one merged with someone’s source.~

  ~I have to admit that this world creeps me out a tiny bit, but I do not experience any specific difficulties,~ Tia replied with a quiet giggle. ~That’s definitely thanks to you, though. If I had arrived here on my own, I can tell I would feel rather sick from being unable to sense any plant life. But my powers don’t seem to be affected much. Just don’t expect me to create healthy trees and vines out of nothing. This world clearly functions within its own set of rules.~

  ~As long as we have your healing, everything is fine,~ he reassured her. ~And since this world doesn’t follow the usual rules, we should be on the lookout for a solution to your situation. In the end, it takes either a miracle or something bypassing common logic to bring a spiritual entity back to the world of material beings.~

  ~Oh, you don’t need to!~ she cooed charmingly. ~But, I guess I’ve seen enough to know that you will anyway, so thank you. Thank you for thinking about me, even though I’m happy to stay with you like this.~

  ~You are welcome.~ Asterios smiled cordially. ~Now, let’s think of our next step. We shouldn’t linger in one spot for too long.~

  Chapter 2

  You Shall Know Despair

  “So, do either of you have any idea where we have landed?” Asterios asked, glancing at Umbra and Abyss standing side by side. “Since I was focusing on just getting in here, I had no concept of the specific place we would show up at.”

  The mocha-skinned lady lightly shook her head. “Do not consider me a viable guide. Too much has changed since my last gaze upon these lands. I might be able to recognize some of the more unique landmarks and regions, but this plain does not bring up any meaningful memories.”

  “If I’m not mistaken, we aren’t that far from the closest village of Darklings.” Umbra hummed thoughtfully. “This is not a place where I would hang around normally, but I recall witnessing a challenge somewhere near here. While the shadowy grass isn’t that peculiar, it doesn’t appear this close to the rocks in any other area that I know of.”

  “Darklings?” Miria’s eyes shone with curiosity at the unheard before term. “What are those?”

  “How should I put it…” The Lord of Shadows stroked his smooth chin. “They are like dark-skinned Goblins about twice taller and much more clever. I wouldn’t call them monsters, but to you, all of us here might be considered to be. What I mean to convey is that they aren’t as mindless and do follow their own societal rules. Which, naturally, doesn’t make them any less violent and aggressive like most creatures in this world.”

  “And is that by design?” Althea raised a scholarly brow at their gracious host.

  “Not in the slightest,” Abyss replied calmly. “While some of the entities I have breathed life into might have shared slightly more forceful tendencies, I did not intend to fill this realm with only battle-seeking maniacs. Over the decades that I have watched this world over, many evolved, combined, died out, changed, but there seemed to exist a frail balance between predators and prey that shifted towards either side from time to time.”

  “And, obviously, you didn’t interfere,” Tina pointed out.

  “That’s correct.” The mysterious lady nodded. “And even without my influence, the creatures calling this place their home seemed to grow within a set natural order. That applied to the last day I gazed upon my creation, studying a territorial battle between two titans. I wasn’t here after that, so I can’t speak about anything from that point onwards.”

  “Then, it all went downhill afterward,” Silvia commented. “The forced magical isolation must have somehow affected this world and its inhabitants. Possibly it was also due to your absence. Even if you haven’t directly influenced this place and these creatures, their creator simply existing in close proximity might have made a difference. Cut that connection off, and the dimension is thrown into chaos.”

  A thoughtful expression showed up on Abyss’ usually still face. “I admit I did not consider that prospect. But, you speak wisely.”

  “It’s like a mother with her child,” Selene added. “In our community, it’s believed that the family shares a spiritual connection. Even if the parents are withdrawn or intend for their offspring to develop on its own without their aid, the baby can still feel their presence in its heart. We have observed differences in such regard within cases of orphaned children, even if they have found themselves under the care of close relatives or any other guardians.”