★18
★2§5.1
THIRD POV
Eto and Shinn arrived at the Star Palace. As they stepped inside, an elf approached, bowing deeply in respect.
"The others are waiting. Please follow me."
They nodded, allowing her to lead them to a hall on the ground floor.
Inside, a portal shimmered, providing passage to the second floor. After passing through, they took the staircase down to the first floor.
"Masters incoming."
She announced before opening the doors, revealing the majestic hall. The space was charged with presence, not merely the citizens, but the key figures of the island.
Seated up ahead were Atlas, Elaine, Elfaria, Hinamatsuri, Sasha, Sai, Yami, and the demihumans he had saved, along with Ban and the five children. At the front, atop a golden throne, Asteri observed everything with calm authority, his gaze steady and commanding.
"We've been waiting for you, Eto, Shinn."
Asteri spoke.
"Forgive us."
They both bowed before taking their seats.
"Seriously, five days, and you came back with nothing."
Ban complained.
"You should've at least saved one person."
S
ai added.
"You're no different, Sai."
Ban shot back.
"Oh, forgive me, Ban. I did what I was told."
Sai countered.
"Ban! You're in no position to order me!"
Eto snapped, his temper flaring as his frustration boiled over. Shinn, ever composed, remained silent beside him, watching the tension unfold.
Around the hall, the other clones began to stir, whispers and mutterings rising as minor arguments threatened to break the decorum of the hall.
Then, a single, commanding voice sliced through the air.
"Silence."
The authority behind the word was absolute. Every eye snapped toward the source, every murmur and protest cut short, and even the most restless of the clones froze in place.
Yami's presence alone enforced order, his dominance in the room unmistakable. The hall, filled moments ago with clamor and tension, now fell into a profound, almost reverent silence. Among them, only Yami possess Antares's authority over his creations.
Once calm had been fully restored, Atlas rose from his seat. His movements were deliberate and measured, each step carrying weight and authority. The murmurs of the attendees died down completely as he approached the center of the hall, preparing to address everyone.
The room's energy shifted; all attention focused on him, awaiting his words, signalling the beginning of a matter of great importance.
"Morning once again. I'll head straight to the point. You being here means you've chosen to follow the Great Master, am I right?"
"Yes."
The slaves responded.
"Good. Now, it's time for the introductions. This is Hinamatsuri, accompanied by her child, Issei. Sasha is a friend of hers. Here are all the Master's five clones who saved you, Yami, Ban, Sai, Shinn, and Eto. Then we have Elfaria, the one who made all this possible, the Queen of the Land. Finally, Elaine, my partner, whom we serve alongside the great Master, Lord Asteri."
One by one, they all bowed deeply to him, despite his clear insistence that such gestures were unnecessary.
"Now, what are your names?"
Atlas asked, his voice calm but commanding. The elves responded in turn, giving their names clearly.
The goblins and ogres, however, remained silent for a moment before one of them stepped forward, bowing apologetically.
"Forgive us, but monsters don't have names."
She said, her tone respectful yet tinged with hesitation.
Asteri's eyes widened at this new revelation.
"This World continues to amaze me."
"What do we do now, Young Master?"
"I know someone who will help."
He spoke before vanishing from his throne, reappearing in Ramiris's labyrinth.
"Lady Ramiris?"
She appeared suddenly, flying into view, and behind her hovered a small, glowing orb, drifting silently in the air.
"Yo, Asta kun."
"You've shrunk it. Nice."
"Yes, I did. Did you came all the way here to say that?"
"No. You didn't tell me monsters need names. What is that? How can one have no name?"
"Oh, forgive me, it just didn't come up. But yes, all monsters in this world lack names."
"How can they communicate then?"
"I don't know since they only communicate within the same species and not the other way around. They know how."
"... what kind of name will one get?"
"Any random name will do. What's up with all the questions? Don't tell me you've found some monsters?"
She asked, clearly amazed.
"Yeah."
Ramiris flew around happily.
"I knew you'll be able to do it."
"We can celebrate later. Let's focus on what we have now."
"Oh, what kind of monsters are they?"
"I don't know. Come with me."
Right then, they appeared in the hall where everyone was waiting.
"I see, these are ogres and goblins. They won't be any problems."
"Problem? Was there going to be a problem if it was a different monster?"
"Yes. Once you name a monster, they'll evolve, and your magicule will be drained in the process."
"That's no problem."
"I can see you got elves too. That's nice."
"Yeah, they already have names. And why is that?"
"Elves aren't monsters. They're demi-humans, so they have names already."
"So changing their name won't trigger any change?"
"Of course."
"Good now come forth and receive your names."
All the ogres and goblins lined up, and Asteri named them all one by one.
The Ogres:
Sabi,
Kelly,
Maria,
Aoi,
Ai.
The Goblins;
Goblia,
Gobna.
After naming them, they suddenly collapsed and caught Asteri off guard.
"What now?"
His gaze on Ramiris waiting for a reply.
"Evolution begins. Don't worry, they'll be fine."
"Good. I suggest you get the elves merged with Elfaria's faction."
With no reason to say otherwise, they all agreed.
"Elfaria, you've been ruling, so you think you can handle that?"
He asked.
"I can, my Lord. Just leave it to me."
"Sure."
"What about the ogres and goblins, your highness?"
She asked.
"If we manage to get more, those here will be their heads. If we don't, they'll be under someone."
"I'd like to take them under me before that sire?"
Elfaria suggested.
"Are you sure you can handle them all?"
"Of course."
"Then great."
"Come and take those seven to their rooms before they wake up."
She ordered, her tone firm and unquestionable.
"Yes, my Lady."
The elves replied in unison, moving swiftly as they stepped forward to carry out her command.
Before they could take another step, space warped without warning and in the blink of an eye, Asteri teleported all seven of them away together, sparing the elves the effort and leaving the chamber steeped in quiet astonishment.
"Now, the children?"
"They'll live here also. I'm sure they'll get along with this place."
"Yes."
"Ellie."
Elafria summoned one of her elves.
"Help me take care of the kids, please."
"Consider it done, my lady."
"Feel free to pick extra hands to help you."
"Ok."
Ellie gathered the five children and led them away. Asteri returned to his throne, his gaze settling on his clones.
"What were you guys arguing about?"
Silence stretched across the hall, heavy and tense. No one spoke, until Yami finally broke it, his voice calm but firm.
"Ban assumed the others didn't participate because they returned empty-handed."
"To his eyes, yes. Despite being my clones, you guys have free will and no shared vision amongst you. However, Shinn was able to tap into Ban. Did you know about that?"
"Impossible..."
"Shinn, explain."
Asteri gave the order, and Shinn responded sharply.
"Shizu was the name of Yuuki's master, wasn't it?"
Ban's eyes widened.
"How? Yes, Yuuki did mention that name."
"Good."
Shinn sat down. Asteri spoke up.
"Among you all, I'll personally pick Shinn as the smartest. You know why?"
"No."
"Despite being given the hardest task along with Eto, he was able to create a magic that I've never used before. Shinn, I'd like you to explain once more."
"As you wish."
Shinn got up.
"After saving the kingdom of Raja from Demons, Primordial Demons of course.."
The entire hall fell into stunned silence, every eye widening in surprise, none more so than Ramiris.
"P..primordials? How?"
"The Primal sent demons to attack Raja. After we dealt with them, we were transported to the Underworld, where Eto faced the Primal Demon Violet. Enraged, Eto cracked his aura, summoning the Primal Blanc. Realizing he might go too far, I teleported us back before he did anything reckless."
"You guys met Primordial Blanc and Violet?"
Ramiris asked, shocked.
"That's not all. I'll explain later. After saving the kingdom of Raja, I figured out it'll take years to visit all the kingdoms in the Western States, so I came up with a solution.
Eto and I each summoned five clones, placing them across the Western States. They erected a ten-sided barrier with an eye at its center, infused with my presence to monitor the region. Using the master's Temporal Twist, I converted each second into a year, scouting all nineteen kingdoms in just nineteen seconds.
Only Coleous and Flitwood remained unsettled. We handled Coleous first, then moved to Flitwood. Before Eto arrived, I saw a woman summon a demon to eliminate another demon. The next day, adventurers were called to Flitwood to deal with the demon, which turned out to be the ruler herself. The summoned demon, a primal named Kuro, completed the task and credited the victory to Shizu, a well-known Majin."
Ramiris froze, stunned by the revelation, while the others didn't fully grasp the magnitude of the threat. She finally spoke.
"Black… or Noir… is second only to Demon Lord Guy Crimson. Primordials rarely respond to summons, but for one to be actively interacting on the Cardinal World… something is seriously wrong."
Hearing this, the others grasped the gravity of the situation. Demons were feared, but Primordials like Noir were the apex. Shinn quietly returned to his seat after briefing them
<
"See, he's extraordinary among you five even though he's the weakest in terms of strength."
"If he's the smartest, who's the strongest then?"
Ramiris asked, curious.
"That depends. Ban is the battle strategist, though he's a bit more hesitant. Eto and Yami, however, were built for combat and act without hesitation. Sai, on the other hand, is calm and composed. I can't decide yet."
"O..ok."
"I'd actually like to see a match between them."
"That's what I've been thinking."
"Same minds, I see. Sai, I'd like you to join Cerberus. Damrada seems interested in you joining him. Plus, you'll be my eyes in the Eastern Empire. What do you think?"
"If that's what you want, then no problem. But I'd like a little favour once I'm gone."
"What's that?"
"I'd like Ryota and his mom to stay in my room since I won't be here."
"That won't be a problem. Tell them all they need to know before bringing them."
"Sure."
"Umm."
Eto wasn't all confident in the presence of his creator.
"What is it, Eto?"
"I don't know my next mission, but I'd like to bring Zelrich and his little sister in."
"Ok, no problem. Do the same as Sai before bringing them."
""My Lord, some of the others still live in a village. I'm worried that, without protection, they might be captured again. So I brought one of them with me, she knows the village well. I plan to use her guidance to reach the others and do what I can to help."
"Do that, please. Ban, you need anything?"
"No, I just need to deal with that doll."
"Don't worry, it's suffering for the time being. I'll summon you once I'm ready."
"Sure."
"You can visit Yuuki if you wish to spar again."
"Ok."
"Shinn, I'd want you to be my voice."
"Though it is a great honour, I must apologise for my lack of skill in combat."
He said, lowering his head.
"Still, I will live up to your expectations."
Asteri regarded him for a moment before speaking again.
"You and Eto make a troublesome but effective pair. I will continue to send you together. Someone needs to keep his hot head in check."
"I accept without reservation."
He replied firmly.
Asteri rose from his throne, the hall falling into reverent silence at the simple motion. His gaze swept across every clone present.
"Once again, you will all depart to your respective locations and carry out my will."
In unison, the clones dropped to one knee, their voices overlapping as one.
"You need only command us."
Without another word, Sai vanished, already bound for the Eastern Empire. His task was clear: retrieve Ryota and his mother, then rendezvous with Cerberus by the following day.
To be continued...