Selene shot him a proud smirk, at which he smiled warmly. He might not be able to hold a candle to her with his ability to address the people, but there was a lot he had learned from her during their time together, either directly or not. It was a skill he needed to develop further, considering the things that were to come.

  “How can you achieve such a grand feat when you look…” The chief seemed uncertain but didn’t turn hostile or angry, which was a good sign.

  “Because in my darkness it will all end…” Asterios spread his arms to the side.

  Calling for his onyx Heart, he took a dive into its powerful energy. Immediately, black smoke began seeping out of his body and fell to the ground like an ominous curtain. It spread over the floor, evoking a few surprised gasps from the increasing number of onlookers. His shadows swirled like thick mist while greedily consuming the light present in the sizable hall.

  “I’m confident in my capabilities, but if you are willing to let me free you from this prophecy, I need everyone to step out of these sacred grounds,” he demanded. “There is no doubt it will resist. From what I can see, you have already experienced its merciless technique. You don’t need to lose more people to this vile creation.”

  “We have to interrupt our prayers?” the main priest inquired fearfully.

  “You may continue them from the corridor behind us if you still wish to keep pleading with the Destroyer to spare you. I won’t blame you for not putting faith in me, as this is the first time we’ve met each other,” Asterios answered kindly. “But, for your own safety, this place must become vacant.”

  “Are you really going to beg the one who intends to not just bring ruin to your lives but even take them all on a whim rather than someone who will be putting their life on the line to protect you?” Silvia joined in, her expression set firm and stern. “What kind of madness ails you to worship your mortal nemesis?”

  The girls nodded at her words, all staring at the creature in charge. It was visibly reconsidering its approach, its head swiveling between the bright sphere and the Savior. At this point, more and more of its kin interrupted their prayers, and soon they might all stop those completely if their leader didn’t come to a decision, making the being’s worries come true regardless.

  Taking one of the two available stances, the head priest turned to its people and raised its arms high.

  “Everyone, gather on the Divine Path and continue praying. Show the Destroyer’s Spirit proper respect as you move back.” Then, as the tall spider-crabs saw to those orders right away, it looked back to the Asterios. “If you truly manage to best the Destroyer’s Spirit, my people shall become your missionaries. We have long prayed for a savior. It will be our honor to aid the great liberator in the world’s true salvation.”

  It wasn’t necessary to mention what would happen if he failed, as the result of such was certain death by a rather intense sunburn.

  With a deep bow, the chief began retreating alongside its followers. It took a few good minutes before the hall was empty, all the spider-crabs crammed into the tunnel leading into the chamber, with their main priest at the very front. That should be enough to keep them safe from any potential blasts, and even if not, Umbra and Abyss would step in when necessary.

  “I guess we are really doing it.” Miria giggled joyfully. “It’s time to become the Messiah, Master!”

  “That one is definitely not sticking.” Asterios glared at her playfully. “But, for them to actually believe in everything we said, I don’t think sitting down in front of the cluster and slowly absorbing it will be powerful enough.”

  “You are right. It might need to be a bit flashier than that,” Althea agreed.

  “What are you going to do, then?” Tina arrived at his side, entwining their arms together.

  He brought their hands up, his still leaking darkness. “I guess I’m going to test something out. One way to gain their trust might be showing them that this light can be overcome.”

  ~It might work,~ Umbra said after reading his intentions. ~But it might not bring you the same benefits as the approach you were going with so far.~

  “There are many more clusters hidden in this world. Sacrificing one to stabilize the realm a bit is worth the price. Plus, it can count as practice.” Asterios leaned in to place a tiny kiss on Tina’s cheek. “Now, please join our new friends. I’ll handle this alone.”

  She searched his eyes for a moment but ultimately responded with a faint nod, standing on her tiptoes to properly press her soft lips against his. Receiving the cordial good luck charm, he smirked lovingly, adoring the slight blush on his girlfriend’s noble cheeks. Their friends had certainly seen it, but there was no rule saying that apostles couldn’t be very devoted to their messiah, right?

  While the ladies jogged to the entrance, he focused his mind on the task ahead, hoping he wasn’t mistaken and overconfident after gaining a little bit of power thanks to the guidance of his incredible mates. Especially his mentor and woodland lover.

  Walking closer to the floating orb, he let more darkness spread all over the floor. With each step, another splotch of black mist rolled to the sides, covering the white ground completely. The more he synchronized himself with his second lineage, the more the menacing fog covered his figure. Soon, all of his skin was concealed by a dark layer, with only the shape of his eyes remaining recognizable, emitting a silvery glow just like in his draconic form while enveloped by shadows.

  Crossing the safe threshold, he triggered the cluster’s defenses.

  Asterios was ready for the invasive screeching and oppressive wave of piercing light. He didn’t have to move a hand as the shadows he had discharged rose from the ground and formed a tall wall by his sole will. The dangerous glow shot past its edges, but he was kept safe in the middle. A few bright spots appeared on the shadowy weave, making him a little concerned. Thankfully, it mended itself quickly and continued to absorb the fake sun energy without a problem.

  Unfortunately, while being able to block the assault could be considered a great achievement on its own, it didn’t solve the issue. He secured a way to safely sap the sphere, but that required him to sit down and meditate just like before. Which wasn’t spectacular, even a bit.

  Throwing his hands to the front, Asterios pushed his authority a step further. Every single bit of darkness in his vicinity bent towards him like thin metal exposed to a mighty magnetic force and rushed to follow his command. Everyone watched as the golden globe became encapsulated by onyx energy, turning the chamber almost completely black. Only a few strained stains surfaced on the sinister veil.

  The light was subjugated.

  But not consumed.

  The former was of great importance, however. With the whole room becoming dark, shadows were plentiful. Ast’s power jumped by a few levels as he ordered his energy to further fuse with the natural darkness, and as his palms smacked together before him, long serpents of onyx mist dove into the shield he had put around the orb. The capsule thickened and deepened with each second, increasing in size, expanding.

  Until it became so big its edge was in arm’s reach for Asterios.

  Resting his hand on the swirling ball of darkness, he issued the final command. “Consume.”

  A blast of spiritual aura hit the spectators as the black globe spun along with the shadowy tendrils. No more light peeked out of the dark barrier, which now began shrinking into itself. Ast’s fingers gradually curled into his palm as it slowly became smaller and smaller. Everyone knew something had changed when it passed the size of the cluster they remembered seeing just moments ago.

  When the grim ball neared the dimensions of a wagon’s wheel, Asterios covered the remaining gap with a snap and his fingers clenched into a fist.

  Another explosion of energy surged outwards, this time continuous. The light was definitely fighting back, but not for long. Less than ten seconds later, the capsule reduced its size to an extent below what anyone’s eyes could perceive and disappeared with a light pop, silencing the strong winds and any noise. The chamber was enveloped in total darkness with no Destroyer’s Spirit in sight.

  As he turned towards the entrance, the girls greeted him with impressed and adoring smiles or grins. The spider-crab people couldn’t appear more shocked, but also reverent. They had all followed their chief’s orders, but it was obvious that not that many truly believed some outsider would succeed at taking down a god’s soul. In their eyes, at least.

  “See? Now do you believe?” Tina snorted cutely at their expressions.

  “We believe…” the leader answered breathlessly.

  “We believe!” the others shouted in unison.

  They all lowered their multi-legged lower halves as far as they could and bowed their torsos to the very ground. Tina blinked a few times, not expecting such a quick and strong reaction.

  “We shall become the messengers of the Messiah!” The main priest rose and directed its face to the ceiling. “The world shall know salvation is approaching! The Great Pilgrimage begins!”

  In a flash, its kin stood up, and they began another worshiping chant as they filed out of the underground facility, undoubtedly going to travel the realm to spread the word. No one in Ast’s party had caught the exact number of the tribe’s members, but they felt like it was fairly impressive. The level of their success couldn’t be easily determined, so it made everyone curious how far this initiative would go.

  ~This is interesting…~ Tia’s voice echoed in their minds, and the ladies returned their gazes to their beloved master and mate, who still stood in the middle of the chamber. ~An outcome I did not expect…~

  They felt confused because it was hard to tell what those comments were about, but Asterios did notice something. Still enshrouded in seeping darkness, he pulled his legs up and started levitating in place, assuming the same position he had been in multiple times alone or with his partners. Closing his eyes, he let himself relax and drift into the depths of his soul.

  ※ ※ ※

  Opening his eyes once more, Asterios found himself on the pleasant lawn making up the comfy carpet in Tia’s tree tower. His host was nowhere to be found, which was rare. The beautiful Dryad loved to entice him with her charming appearance, especially after they fully became one. Yet, she wasn’t there to greet him.

  He could feel her presence, though, so he walked towards the exit. A moment later, he was outside, back inside this mysterious space housing his lineages.

  And a few other things.

  Tia stood a distance away from the Tree and gazed into the sky. She spotted Ast’s arrival and offered him an excited smile. He approached his timber-skinned lover, gently sliding his arm around her shapely waist, and followed her eyes.

  There was a new thing.

  “You totally didn’t have to, Master.” Tia giggled sweetly. “But I appreciate the gesture.”

  Asterios shook his head with a faint smirk at her teasing. A miniature sun hung over the monumental crown of leaves, bathing them in faint light and spreading some of its shine over the nearby area. It was the cluster he had consumed. Somehow, it had ended up inside him instead.

  “This isn’t going to become a problem, is it?” He stroked his chin thoughtfully.

  “I don’t think so, Master.” She shook her head. “If so, you might still be able to absorb it like the other ones. It should be easier now that it’s inside you. Although I would like to keep one if you would grant me this selfish desire.”

  Placing his palm on her smooth cheek, he brought her face to his and placed a chaste peck on her plump lips. “I will make these skies clear if that’s what you wish for, no matter what I have to do to achieve that. A small sun to warm up your skin is nothing.”

  She grinned fondly and kissed him back. “One day, I will bathe under a real sun, so don’t hesitate to take this one away and grow stronger, Master. Your love already warms my skin up more than I would dare to admit.”

  He snickered at her obvious double meaning. Watching as she passionately nibbled on her lip, he looked up at the newest change to the Ancestral Plane. At the current pace, it might soon start running out of space if more phenomena continued to manifest inside his soul. He knew this wasn’t exactly a normal occurrence, but he felt like even a True Dragon might not be able to provide a solid explanation for what was happening.

  Perhaps the two bloodlines he had inherited somehow broke him, and it extended to this place?

  So far, it seemed like the questions would never end, no matter how many answers they gathered.

  And the current one swirling in his head was, what to do with this surprising development?

  Chapter 26

  Born to Flair Around

  “I think you should leave it to me,” Tia said, brushing a hand over Ast’s back. “There’s no need to delay. I shall study any potential effects of this result and let you know my thoughts.”

  “Sure.” Asterios nodded. “You certainly know more about this stuff. Any initial ideas?”

  “A few, but nothing I should worry you about just yet. Examination first.” She smiled at him sweetly and spun around with a cute wink. “But, if it were possible to absorb the other clusters this way and save them for later, this could become a decent trump card for you.”

  “How so?” He raised a curious brow at her.

  “Your Dragon’s Hearts are already almost bottomless in terms of energy when we keep in mind your draconic nature, but having another pocket of power you could call at a dangerous time might be just the little thing that turns the tables on your opponent.” The sly Dryad giggled impishly. “Nothing gets one more sure about their victory than seeing their enemy completely drained of all the spiritual strength.”

  Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, Asterios smirked back at her. “And then pop. Right when their guard is down. I agree. It’s a devious little plan, but there are no shameful steps when it comes to protecting the ones you love. I’ll leave you to it, then. Thank you.”

  A wide grin adorned her gorgeous face as she threw her arms over his shoulders and kissed him deeply.

  “No need to thank me. I’m doing it for us. I want to protect our family too.” Tia’s fingers caressed his cheek as she looked into his eyes dearly. “The stronger you are, the stronger we are. I will be forever grateful for you saving me and shall ensure you possess enough might to save many more.”

  “Hopefully, before the person I’m trying to save ends up a bodiless soul next time.” He sighed softly.

  “You better not start blaming yourself for this again, or I’m going to sic Grea on you.” She snickered dangerously and bopped him on the nose. “Now, back you go. The girls’ intrigue is reaching its limits. Get a hold of yourself before they hurt themselves with their curiosity.”

  Blinking at her in confusion, Asterios hastily extracted himself from his Ancestral Plane. Tia stumbled a little with a quiet laugh, her arms winding around her figure, already missing the warmth of his soul on her consciousness’ avatar skin. After experiencing deeper closeness with her new beloved, she had difficulty controlling her yearning. And the fact that in this space she was the incarnation of her mind didn’t help quench those desires. She had no body she could control here.

  But she knew it wouldn’t be long before he found a way to bring her back into the physical world. As much as he struggled to hide it from them, they knew Asterios constantly racked his brain about possible options to achieve this feat. Until that happened, he wouldn’t stop feeling partially guilty about being unable to protect her Tree.

  Unhurriedly turning around, Tia looked up at the miniature sun bathing the soul image of her Tree in a pleasant light. After being absorbed by Asterios, it had lost its sharp and violent nature, turning warm, gentle, cordial, and most importantly, loving. It felt nourishing in a way she hadn’t experienced in ages.

  Perhaps the time she would walk the realms again wasn’t as far away as she’d thought.

  ※ ※ ※

  Opening his eyes, Asterios was greeted by an adorable yelp and the sight of Miria falling onto her butt, her fluffy ears laid down atop her soft black hair from the shock of surprise. She had been pretty much in his face as she was trying to catch a glance at his shadowy self, because as he noticed, his form was still that of dark billowing fog and most likely pure white eye slits. Thankfully, he had come back before she had enough time to move from starting to touching.

  “Are you alright?” he asked, extending a hand to his sweet mate while placing his feet on the ground, finished with his levitating meditation.

  She shot him a sheepish smile and accepted the help. His darkness licked at her fur, but properly controlled, it wasn’t hostile. The ladies watched as their excited sister-mate played around with the misty tongues, grinning from ear to ear. Silvia then approached them, a calculating look on her face as she too peered at Ast’s relatively new form.

  “You can keep it up subconsciously?” the princess asked. “I still need to think about mine at least a little.”

  “Sorry.” He chuckled wryly.

  “I didn’t mean to sound jealous or accusing.” The scarlet-haired girl rolled her eyes and stepped forward to place a dainty peck against his cheek, making it shimmer a bit. “I’m going to get there myself soon too. This seems similar to my transformation, doesn’t it? I bet you will be able to help me improve even further.”

  “There’s no doubt about that.” Selene hid her ladylike grin behind her slender palm. “Master is an expert at making sure we grow to the best of our potential.”

  “So, how did things go?” Tina tilted her head at him.

  Asterios proceeded to fill them in on the events and conversations from his inner world, and they all listened eagerly. Tia’s suggestion fascinated them, gaining a unanimous vote for its introduction. When they got some time on their hands, they were going to collect as many clusters as they could fit inside Asterios, as worded by the short Summoner lady, who then quickly realized her choice of expression and dipped her head while blushing furiously.