★54
THIRD POV
As the others vanished, leaving only the Queen and the Angelic Devil, he opened a portal. Hinata and Shinn stepped through, moving with quiet purpose.
"Shinn."
He acknowledged the summons and quietly excused himself, vanishing from sight.
The Misfits Scourge tried to settle into a spot, intending to rest, but before he could, a golden table materialised mid motion, accompanied by three finely crafted chairs.
The shimmering surface reflected the ambient light, giving the scene an almost sacred aura, as if this simple furniture had been summoned specifically for the weight of what was to come.
"Please sit."
<
Hinata must've noticed it too.
"I'm here to break the egg and apologise."
The words hung in the air, catching them completely off guard. Hinata and Towa exchanged glances, their surprise mirrored in the slight stiffening of their postures.
"About what?"
Hinata finally asked, her voice cautious.
"Apologise?"
Towa echoed, tilting his head.
A faint, almost wistful smile touch his lips.
"It's natural to think that someone with magic like me would be progressing smoothly, right?"
Hinamatsuri frowned slightly.
"I… don't follow."
He sighed, a weight settling over his shoulders despite the air around me remaining calm.
"I mean… how I became a Demon Lord. Everyone sees the results, the power, the influence, the army… everything seems like it's going my way. But it's not that simple."
A heavy silence filled the room, each of them processing my rare display of humility. Then, without waiting for further questions, he shifted my focus, the atmosphere thickening as I moved to the next stage of my plan.
With a wave of my hand, the air shimmered, The judges, Atlas and Elaine, were summoned, their presence commanding immediate respect.
"Young Master"
"Supreme One."
The greeted.
"You both should combine and activate the Golden Truth on me."
The moment the words left his mouth, they stiffened. The air itself seemed to tense, as if it understood the weight of what he had just asked.
"Golden Truth?"
Elaine repeated, her brows knitting together.
"I'm sure you know. The Golden Truth is an Order. And yes, I know exactly how dangerous it is."
Elaine's expression hardened instantly.
"That's not just dangerous. It's reckless. Orders give rise to Laws, and Laws govern the World itself. This isn't an Art you can undo."
She took a step forward, her voice sharp with urgency.
"If the Golden Truth is activated, and you lie even once, it will react randomly. Utter erasure is possible at first trial."
"I know."
"And you also know,"
She continued.
"..that once it takes effect, all your powers will be sealed. No Arts, no authority, no cheats. You'll stand there as you are, nothing more."
Silence followed.
"That's the point. If I'm going to apologise, if I'm going to speak the truth, then it has to be absolute. No half-measures. No room for doubt."
He said. Hinata's eyes searched his face, as if trying to find hesitation. She found none.
The Golden Truth was not mercy. It was not justice.
<
"That's what I want. No complaints, just do it."
The two didn't know the reason behind it but had no choice but to do as he said. They raised both palms.
<
<
"White Truth."
"White Truth."
Asteri's body radiated a brilliant white, the light gradually deepening until it turned into a solemn, absolute gold.
Golden magic circles formed around him, layer upon layer, each one etched with Order, spinning in perfect synchrony. Their pulses were slow, heavy, deliberate, as though the World itself was holding its breath.
The radiance faded, condensing into a thin, invisible film that wrapped around his existence.
The Golden Truth had taken hold. What remained was only Asteri, standing bare before the Order itself.
"I don't know how I'll be able to prove it'll work on me but..."
"I believe you, Ati chan."
Hinata replied immediately.
"A...Ati chan? I trust and believe in you too."
Towa responded despite the confusion.
Atlas and Elaine stood back, their roles were over. They're currently witnesses before this divine power.
"Get Lady Ramiris for me please."
"Worry not."
Atlas disappeared and after a few seconds, he came back with the Fairy Queen.
"What is it, Asta kun?"
She was surprised how he was sitting with the two people he loved.
"Are you finally getting married? Well, you'll have to choose one.."
Ramiris yapped on, completely missing the tension in the air.
"Please sit, Lady Ramiris. I need you in this." Asteri cut in, his voice calm but leaving no room for argument.
The shift was immediate. Ramiris blinked, finally sensing the weight behind his words. A small floating chair manifested beside her, glowing faintly.
"O–oh… okay."
She flew over and sat down, legs dangling, unusually quiet.
The atmosphere settled again, heavy and focused. Whatever Asteri was about to do, this wasn't a joke, and Ramiris had just realised she was part of something far more serious than idle chatter.
"You can ask any questions after I've explained myself."
<
Entares's usual calm was shattered, his eyes flaring with restrained fury, yet Antares's presence lent Asteri the courage to persist.
Entares sat high upon his throne, a monolith of authority and scrutiny, observing the world through Asteri's senses. Below him, in the shadows of the immense throne, Antares sat, a curious, calculating gaze scanning the same world, detached yet intimately aware.
The stillness of the Mind, a place where sound dissipated, concepts held no weight, and notions had no purchase, was broken by the faint jingle of bells. The strange, otherworldly chime echoed, carrying weight where weight did not exist.
Entares's eyes narrowed at the intrusion.
"What do you want?"
His voice cut through the void, sharp and commanding. The intruder remained silent, an unseen presence lingering without form or explanation.
Black and white cards rained down around them, spinning and fluttering through the Mind like fragments of some cosmic deck. Each cards shimmered with impossible patterns and moving images.
After a moment that stretched like an eternity, a voice, soft, ephemeral, yet laden with certainty, answered.
"Just have faith in the little kid."
As the words faded, the cards dissolving into nothingness along with the fading bells and the lingering echo of the voice.
Entares's expression remained unreadable, but a subtle tension lingered in the Mind, as though even IT understood the weight behind the words.
To be continued...