★ 58
ASTERI'S POV
Hours passed as Hinata played joyfully with the dragons, her laughter echoing softly across the grounds. By the time she returned, her mirth had softened into a gentle, serene calm. Each step she took carried lightness, her eyes reflecting a warmth and quiet curiosity that pulled at the edges of my focus.
"What's wrong, Ati chan? You've been like this since we met the Queen. Did she say something bad?"
She asked, her voice gentle yet probing, sensing the shift in my mood.
<
"Nothing's wrong."
I lied, my voice low but steady.
"It's not about her… it's about how things are shifting."
But this wasn't.
Hinata tilted her head slightly, a hint of worry in her gaze.
"Shifting? How?"
I let out a quiet breath, watching her eyes track every subtle movement of mine.
"The Queen… she's strong, confident. She knows her place and wields her presence with ease. Being around her, seeing how others respond to her, it makes me think… about what I want to do, who I want to protect, and how I choose to act."
Hinata frowned lightly, taking a small step closer.
"So it's not bad, it's… confusing?"
"Exactly."
I replied, letting a faint smile curl at the corner of my lips.
"Moments like this… they make me consider the world differently. I can't just think in terms of strategy and power anymore. I have to… feel it too."
She blinked, absorbing my words, then let out a small sigh, her tension easing.
"I see… so that's why you've been quiet. You're… thinking about all of us."
<
I nodded, my gaze softening further.
"Yeah. It's not easy, but it's… necessary."
She reached out, brushing a strand of hair from my face, her touch light, tentative.
"Ati chan… whatever you're thinking, I trust you. Just… don't forget us."
Her words hit somewhere deeper than I expected, and for a moment, the weight of my responsibilities mixed with the warmth of her trust, grounding me in a way no strategy or power ever could.
"How are the dragons?"
"Energetic as ever."
"They are happy without me right?"
Hinata chuckles.
"I guess."
"Never wanted to be their master anyway. It was impossible to begin with."
"Heh? Then why did you take it?"
"I didn't."
"What?"
"It's complicated. Lady Elara didn't complain maybe because she thought I would be the new master. She's the only barrier between me and them. Things went south. I must inform her."
I got up and a portal simmered into existence.
"Do you know why I need portals to access my worlds?"
"Because it's faster?"
"That's one of the reasons. But the main one is because it's an imaginary world that doesn't exist here. Even the portals look different if you pay sharp attention."
After thinking it over for a while, she realised something every portal I opened had been different.
Their sizes, shapes, and even colours varied each time, as if each one followed its own set of mysterious rules.
"Wait. The last time we met Lady Elara you didn't use portals. We were just transported there."
She seemed to recall the method of transportation I used last time.
"Correct. My world, my rules. That doesn't mean what I said was a lie."
I teleported us to my world. The rose I had removed began to float gently around me, petals shimmering softly in the ambient light.
"You made me worried, Anta chan. What made you lose control?"
She asked, concern mixed with curiosity.
"If you knew I lost control, then you must already understand the reason behind it."
I replied calmly, stating the fact. She only laughed lightly, the sound carrying a mixture of amusement and exasperation.
"You really are unique. So… what is it that you want?"
Ela asked. Though O couldn't see her, she's probably tilting her head slightly, those crimson eyes glinting with curiosity. I took it form her by the way.
"The egg… you know. My Kalidor arc.
I said simply, my gaze fixed on the floating rose.
"Perfect Dragon Sage, I'd say. Have they hatched already?"
She asked, her voice laced with intrigue.
"That's why I came. They've hatched… but I'm not their master yet."
"What?! This is—"
"Wrong?"
I interrupted, raising an eyebrow, my tone measured but sharp.
"No. The previous Queen said newborns choose their master while adults tend to fight to determine who's worthy of being the Dragon Sage."
"You exposed them to an otherworldly atmosphere. You know the risk but since you're calm, I believe everything is alright."
"It is. I created a suitable space for them using my energy somewhere safe not even Elaine and Atlas know about it."
"Good. So tell me, who's the pending Dragon King?"
"Queen."
I replied casually, pointing straight at Hinata.
Elara burst into laughter once more, clearly finding the whole situation far too amusing.
"Seriously? Are you laughing?"
"Sorry, I peeked into your future once, and I saw all this coming."
"Not fair. I need some privacy."
"Hey, it's just to protect you. Do you need spoilers on how things will move on?"
"I'll pass."
I waved dismissively.
"So Hinata being chosen as the Sage means there is a probability she'll be the next Deity. There won't be a problem right?"
"Why would it be? Judgment on dragons is prohibited even to us Omnis. Deities are given birth, chosen by the Monarchs or Balance Dragon. At times, the Balance Dragon themselves becomes the Deity."
"So no one will interfere?"
"Stars? Yes. Ever since the Rebellion, no Star is permitted to enter Kalidor. Except you, of course.
As the Queen, you'll have to stand up to the Void Dragons and redeem the worlds. I'm sure you're aware of that Hinata chan?"
She asked, the flower drifting closer, observing her intently.
"Y–yes, I know. But I still haven't awakened yet."
Hinata steadied herself and answered firmly, refusing to avert her gaze.
"You don't need to awaken to fight. Judging by the aura you're emitting, you're no longer human. That will affect both you and those who share your life code."
"What?"
"Don't worry. I'll seal off his powers until he's mature enough."
I intervened at once. Issei shouldn't be exposed to such power, not yet.
"You do possess the authority to do that, but the Balance Dragons are the ones who decide."
She replied calmly.
"Then I'll beat them into cooperating."
I slammed my fist into my palm, already prepared to give them a thorough lesson.
"I won't let you lay a hand on the children."
Hinata smiled simply, but there was a sharp, unmistakable resolve behind it.
"I...I was just kidding. Lady Elara, there's this,"
Before I could finish, that same searing lightning tore through my mind again, far stronger than before.
The pain surged violently, overwhelming my senses. My knees gave out, and I collapsed, clutching my head as the pulse ripped through my thoughts.
"A...Ati-chan? Are you alright? Lady Elara, what's happening?"
"He's been prohibited from invading other worlds."
She said calmly, as if she had expected this all along.
"So you're safe, for now."
Meanwhile, in the Mind, Antares remained seated, azure lightning crackling around his head, unable to touch him. His expression wasn't unreadable, he was furious. Someone had dared to interrupt his project.
"That sneaky Azure Star."
Entares remarked, naturally immune to invasions.
"H…he? Who's he?"
I struggled to rise, still reeling from the surge.
"Oh, don't tell me you've forgotten. It who passes judgment on all Stars—Sabaki no Kami. We call it Sabaki for short. It has noticed your wrongdoings, and those shocks are warnings. Be careful, Antares."
Elara warned.
I froze, taken aback.
<
"You said judgment to all Stars, including you?"
"Aside from the Supreme Star, Deity of Sun and myself, the rest are within his grasp."
"I don't know these names."
"Antares does, you don't."
She's right. I wasn't crafted with knowledge of the Star Realm. Asteri is simply an Antares who ran form his home, discarding his past for his current journey. Naturally, I wouldn't know them.
"So it's safe to say Sabaki is among the O-Class?"
"What are you doing, Antares. If you know we'd talk, at least upgrade your vessel."
She complained but Antares was ever silent.
"Sabaki is a B-Class. But its strength was unrivalled even among the O-Class. It's not someone to mess with."
<
"M-Class or not, I'll do whatever I want, and I'll stand up to him if it comes to that."
Despite the confusion and threats, something in me flared, unyielding, refusing to submit. I alone must stand at the top.
"The Will of the Scorpius Constellations never ceases to amaze me. What are the two most important things I've taught Zhou when it comes to fighting an enemy?"
"Never underestimate your opponent and ...never overestimate your abilities?"
My mood was low as I spoke those words, my voice carrying a heaviness that betrayed the tension and unease settling deep within me.
"Good, keep that in mind. Contact me anytime, since there's no time limit. Be sure to keep the Queen of Dragons safe. The fate of all dragons rests in her hands."
"I will."
"Oh, and one more thing. Remember I said I sneaked in and observed your future?"
"Yeah, and remember I said I don't want spoilers?"
I made it sound funny, but her demeanour didn't change.
"There are two endless voids ahead. You're in for a long ride, Antares. But I'll always be by your side, keep that in mind."
The rose floated gracefully back into my hands, its petals glowing faintly in the morning light, as if resonating with the weight of my thoughts.
"Two endless voids? What does that mean?" Hinata asked, her voice a mixture of curiosity and worry, her eyes following the rose as it gently rest on my palm.
I let out a quiet sigh, the weight of unspoken truths pressing against my chest.
"As she said, it's a long ride."
<
The thought lingered unspoken, heavy and inevitable, and I could feel the pulse of destiny pressing against the edges of our reality.
"Let's head home, okay?"
I said, my voice calm, but carrying the unshakable gravity of the path ahead.
"Um…"
She hesitated, her brows knitting slightly as she processed my words. Then, slowly, she nodded.
<
Her resolve was quiet but firm, a silent promise to herself that she would understand everything in time.
The journey back was uneventful, yet the air between us carried a tension of anticipation, a sense that the calm before the storm was fragile and fleeting. Once home, we retreated to our rooms, the silence of the evening echoing the unspoken burdens we each carried.
The next morning, I summoned Atlas and Elaine to the edge of the Island. The wind tugged at our robes, carrying the scent of the sea and the distant promise of a storm. Both stood rigidly, eyes focused, aware that whatever was coming demanded preparation.
"A storm is approaching… and I have an e… never mind."
I let the thought trail off, a fragment of strategy left unspoken.
"Just keep that at the back of your mind."
The weight of those words hung heavy between us, an invisible current of warning and anticipation that neither needed to be fully explained to feel its truth.
In an instant, a huge coliseum appeared on the water. It had over five hundred seats, including the vip section, which was at the top. There's a transparent barrier surrounding the ring to contain any damage. As I started approaching the coliseum, a bridge was being constructed, creating a path for me. We walked in and stood at the centre.
To be continued...