★68
ASTERI'S POV
Two weeks after walpurgis, I called upon the citizens for a general announcement. They were all standing below his view, all of them including Atlas, Elaine, and Hinamatsuri.
"What's it this time?"
"Whatever it is, it must be very important since everyone is here with us."
"Exactly."
People were murmuring up and down until a figure with white hair appeared and the crowd went silent. The Supreme Being walked outside, stood on the balcony, and faced his people, his family.
"I think you should head down too, Shinn."
Glace and my butler were all stationed below. It's natural for Shinn to be down there as well. This is a king-to-subject treatment but it's a general announcement. I see no other way around it.
Unable to protest, he vanished along with the winds. The only person standing close to me was Lady Athena.
"Good morning, my people-or should I say, my family. I'm glad you all answered my summons."
I began.
"As you're aware, there is a coliseum at the edge of the island. In one week, it will open, and there will be a free-for-all tournament."
The crowd erupted at once, voices rising in excitement. I waited calmly, letting the noise crest and slowly die down.
"As I've said, anyone can participate as long as they're not a star or my clone. It'll be obvious to know the winners so I'll exclude those two categories."
For some reason, their cheers grew even louder than before.
"Now, don't get too excited. As Hinata suggested, I've prepared a reward system for participants who make it to the quarterfinals. As for the rewards, I can offer anything-but I won't reveal them just yet. It could be money, tutelage, magicules, a title, gold, crystals... perhaps all of them."
I shrugged lightly.
"Maybe something otherworldly. You'll have to find out for yourselves."
The crowd exploded with excitement. As usual, I let them enjoy it. They organised themselves within seconds, and I continued.
"If the reward for reaching the quarterfinals is one thousand gold, then the semifinals will receive three thousand, and the finalists six thousand. In short, a one-three-six ratio."
My tone remained calm.
"The winner's multiplier remains a mystery, and the runner-up will also receive a special bonus. That said, this is only an example. The starting reward may not actually be one thousand gold, but the ratio itself will not change."
I paused, letting anticipation settle in the air.
"For those seeking magicule rewards, the ratio will be adjusted to avoid—unintended consequences. Also, only those who reach the finals will earn the right to ask me anything personally."
Realising what I had just revealed, I smirked.
"Well, that was an unexpected leak. I should probably keep my mouth shut next time."
Laughter rippled through the crowd, easing the tension.
"Five hundred seats will be available. No entry fee-first come, first served. If you miss it, you'll be missing quite a spectacle. But worry not, I've also prepared this."
Across the island, floating screens activated, broadcasting live images of me. My voice overlapping without weird distortions.
"If you're late, simply watch from the nearest projection. Since we have more than enough capacity, our neighbours and partners from Raja will also be invited."
With that, competition for the five hundred seats became inevitable.
"Due to the increase in population, seating cards would be distributed to prevent overcrowding."
The crowd nodded in agreement, understanding the necessity.
"Atlas and Annie will handle participant registration."
"Huh?"
"Haaah?"
Atlas and Annie were caught off guard by their unexpected pairing, but I assure you it wasn't just by chance.
"If you're wondering whether they'll be stuck in the palace, they won't. Registration will be open for three hours each day, ten in the morning, five in the evening, and ten at night. Over the next seven days, everyone will have a chance if they wish to participate."
I continued without pause.
"The registration area is in front of the coliseum bridge. Initial matchups will be shuffled by Shinn, then it will be winners versus winners. Ban, Shinn, and Atlas will rotate as officials, while Elaine and her team will serve as medics."
I turned away and raised a hand.
"Prepare yourselves for the tournament. I wish all participants the best of luck."
The applause surged behind me like a rising tide.
The cheers echoed across the marble walls, a strange contrast to the reputation of this place. Star Island, feared across nations, branded SSS-Rank by the world itself, yet within its heart, it was calm, almost serene. A sanctuary wrapped in the guise of hell.
.
.
.
Later that night, Asteri and his butler descended to the lowest floor of the palace.
Most people know it exists but only a handful know the truth of what lies below. Atlas, Elaine, Magos, Shinn, and the two of them.
Their footsteps echoed through the vast, empty expanse. The air grew colder as they approached the single door standing at the far end.
"How is the operation going, Eto?"
I asked, and in an instant, he materialised beside me.
Eto, draped in a pristine white lab coat, a clipboard in one hand and a pen twirling effortlessly in the other. His calm demeanour contrasted sharply with the eerie stillness of the chamber, as if he belonged to a different world entirely.
"Well, so far so good, they'll hold up for now."
He noted. The door opened automatically, revealing a colossal laboratory.
It's size was staggering, almost impossible to believe it was hidden underground. Rows upon rows of advanced equipment, strange chemicals, and otherworldly artefacts filled the space.
I ignored Eto's questions and headed straight for the Aberration Chamber. The doors slid apart with a muted hiss, cold air spilling out as the interior revealed itself. The space was vast, layered with overlapping barrier fields and suppression arrays etched into the walls, floor, and ceiling.
Dozens of containment vessels extended in ordered rows, each one sealed with reinforced crystal glass. Every chamber housed something that did not belong to the natural order-entities warped by excess magicules. A corrupted evolution.
I stopped before the first specimen. Inside, a demon lay restrained, its body suspended in a translucent fluid designed to stabilise it's body. It appeared unconscious, but the faint fluctuations in the aura around it suggested otherwise.
Two thick conduits pierced the chamber's frame and connected directly to its body. One steadily fed controlled amounts of magicules into its core, providing fuel for growth and evolution. The other functioned as a drain, siphoning excess energy the moment it exceeded a preset threshold, ensuring the demon never grew beyond the containment procedures.
Beside the vessel, a digital interface pulsed softly, lines of data scrolling in precise intervals. Vital signs, soul integrity, magicule intake and output, cellular mutation rates-everything was being tracked in real time. The system was not designed to nurture, but to observe limits, to measure how much distortion a being could endure before breaking.
My gaze settled on one figure in particular.
"Five per cent of natural magicule?"
The number explained everything. At such a low saturation, even a demon, an existence built to thrive on magicules-was reduced to a barely functioning state.
It wasn't a test of strength, but of tolerance instead. And judging by the readings, this specimen was already nearing its limit.
"They're not as strong as you think. It'll take a while for them to get a hold of it."
Shinn, dressed in a crisp lab coat with his silver hair tied neatly into a ponytail and glasses perched on his nose, responded in his usual calm tone.
His delicate features and soft voice made him look more like a girl than a man. I wasn't sure what was going on with them, nor did I care to find out so I simply ignored it and kept walking.
"It'll take eternity to reach hundred per cent. That's just phase one. We have a lot to cover."
"Apologies, there's nothing we can do."
"Unless you want us to speed up their time with Temporal Twist?"
"Do it."
I replied without hesitation.
"Not all shortcuts are safe."
"This whole operation isn't safe."
I countered flatly.
The chamber responded with a low hum as temporal seals activated, bending the local flow of time. Within the containment vessels, the air thickened as seconds began to stretch and contract in rapid pulses. For the specimens, minutes would now pass as hours, or days. This way, results can be obtained in few hours to days, weeks at maximum.
Out of all the beings confined here, only the demons had chosen this willingly. They were loyal to me, bound by devotion and curiosity—eager to be the instruments of my research. They understood that to serve me was to surrender body, mind, and soul to the unknown.
The rest, however, were not volunteers. Humans, demihumans, and monsters—all captured and categorised based on what they had done, or what they had become. Some were beings twisted by corruption or greed. Others were those whose sins were too grave to be forgiven.
The latter's fates were already decided long before they were brought here. Execution would have been mercy. Instead, they were repurposed—turned into permanent subjects, their existence serving one final purpose: to expand my understanding of the limits of life, energy, and evolution.
The Aberration Chamber was not a prison, nor a sanctuary. It was judgement disguised as science.
"What about those in the Cryogenic Chamber?"
I asked, my gaze shifting past the current row of vessels toward the sealed, frost-veiled section beyond.
"As high-class monsters, they're doing pretty good. The least among them is currently taking twenty five per cent of natural magicule."
Shinn reported.
That figure alone was abnormal. I felt a flicker of surprise surface before I suppressed it.
"The highest?"
I enquired, already moving, my steps quickening as the cryogenic chamber came into view.
"Ninty seven per cent. Nope, it just reached ninty eight."
That stopped me for half a breath.
"That's good news. Does the queen know what's going on with them?"
"No. These beasts are rarely approached by the citizens of Raja. They use a few of them for military and survey purposes."
Eto answered from behind. He's living in Raja for a while so he should know this much.
The chamber doors slid open with a heavy mechanical groan, and the sharp crack of fracturing ice echoed outward. A dense wave of cold air spilled into the corridor, biting against skin and cloth alike, frost instantly blooming along the metal seams of the floor.
I stepped inside without hesitation. At the centre of the chamber stood a massive frozen containment vessel, its surface layered with crystalline ice. Suspended within was a wyvern—its colossal frame locked in petrified stillness.
Even so, faint clouds of mist escaped its nostrils at steady intervals. It was alive.
The cryogenic petrification wasn't meant to halt evolution—only to restrain the external form. The true process unfolded inward, rewriting cores, and energy pathways beyond what the outside shell could safely contain. Once internal adaptation stabilised, the outer body would follow, slowly reshaping itself to match the new state.
"Good. Once it reaches hundred per cent—"
"Wait for at least one hour to proceed to the next phase. Yes, I know. Don't tell me my speciality."
Shinn interjected. He wasn't being insolent. He was stating procedure. Every step here followed the manuscript I authored myself.
"Good. I'll be back in a few days. A week at maximum."
I turned away from the vessel.
Scarlet fell in beside me, his presence silent and steady.
A sudden, dull thud rang across the frozen floor.
I glanced back. Majo was sprawled awkwardly on the ground, clad in a white scientist's coat identical to Eto's. She scrambled up almost immediately, bowing in flustered haste, her face burning red with embarrassment.
'Knowing Eto, this was probably his idea.'
"You clumsy lady."
Eto muttered, amusement barely concealed.
I sighed, rubbing my temple once before letting my hand fall.
"I have nothing to say to you guys. Let's go, Scarlet."
He followed without question, and we left the cryogenic chamber behind, the sound of sealing doors and settling ice echoing softly in our wake.
....
...
..
.
Finally, the long-awaited day arrived. Crowds from Raja and Star Island poured into the grand coliseum, filling the stands with a roar of anticipation. Five hundred seats were already occupied, yet countless others remained on the island, watching the live broadcast shimmering through the skies.
I sat at the centre of the front row, five seats that symbolised authority and balance.
To my right were Hinamatsuri and Mikasa, calm and composed. To my left sat Towa and Elafria, both radiating quiet poise. Behind us, on a slightly elevated second row, Annie, Mikasa, Ryota, Glace, and Issei had gathered, their expressions ranging from awe to excitement.
The final row brimmed with restless children, their laughter echoing through the walls as maids struggled to keep order.
Ramiris, as expected, made herself comfortable atop my throne, legs dangling as she hummed with glee. Athena perched on my shoulder, fingers absentmindedly twirling a strand of my long white hair as her golden eyes scanned the crowd.
There were sixty participants in total, each bearing a spark of determination. Atlas was in charge of coordinating the matchups, while Ban and Shinn presided as the event's officials. The air thrummed with energy, elves, goblins, ogres, humans, and demi-humans alike filled the arena, their cheers blending into a single heartbeat that shook the coliseum to life.
"Isn't the island at risk of being infiltrated? I mean, all the strongest people are here."
Mikasa, who was surprised, asked.
"Although you are correct, we will not miss any atoms that manage to get past my barrier. Worry not, Mikasa."
I replied with a smile.
'Damn cliche.'
Entares muttered.
With the participants gathered at the centre of the arena, Eto stepped forward, his composed voice echoing through the vast coliseum.
He delivered a concise announcement, detailing the event's flow and safety measures before giving the officials the signal to begin. The tournament would span several days, seven matches per day, with thirty-minute intervals between bouts to allow rest and recalibration.
Each participant was instructed to wear the newly designed tactical bodysuit, a product of Star Island's cutting-edge craft. The suits came in both long- and short-sleeved versions, tailored for comfort and movement, and available in every conceivable colour. Some fighters chose bold, radiant tones; others preferred muted shades that mirrored their personalities.
However, due to certain circumstances, we permit the usage of other attire.
It was time, but nothing would unfold without my permission. I rose from my seat and stepped onto the balcony overlooking the coliseum, the vast arena below already humming with restrained anticipation.
My presence alone was enough to quiet the building.
I let my gaze sweep across the stands, the floating screens, the gathered fighters waiting beyond the gates. This wasn't just a contest of strength. It was a measure of resolve of how far each of them was willing to go when faced with others who refused to yield.
"The Star Tournament will begin now."
I said, my voice carrying without effort, steady and absolute.
"This is not a battle for pride alone. It is a proving ground. Fight to test yourselves, to surpass yesterday, and to show me how much you are willing to stake on your own path."
I paused, letting the weight of it settle.
"Victory will be rewarded. Defeat will not be mocked. But hesitation will be punished by the arena itself. Step forward with conviction, or do not step forward at all."
My hand lifted slightly.
"Let the stars bear witness."
With that, I gave my permission, and the mechanisms of the coliseum came alive, the opening signal echoing across Star Island as the Star Tournament was set into motion.
The crowd roared in anticipation and the first two competitors stepped forward, the energy in the coliseum reached its peak. The games had begun.
Due to the length of the matches and the influx of visitors from other nations, I had a hotel constructed near the coliseum, large enough to house every outsider comfortably. Accommodation was free for all participants and guests throughout the tournament.
For those who wished to return home, a portal was stationed at the western side, operating around the clock. Yet many chose to stay, some out of curiosity, others for personal or business reasons.
Six days passed swiftly. The battles grew fiercer, the crowd louder, and the nights longer. By the end of the sixth day, forty-two participants had been eliminated, leaving only eighteen contenders to advance toward the finals.
Seventh Day.
As usual, Atlas strode confidently to the centre of the coliseum, his voice echoing through the vast arena as the crowd's murmurs faded into silence.
"Greetings, ladies and gentlemen."
He began, his tone brimming with energy and command.
"Without wasting any time, let's begin today's lineup. A battle between the strongest unfolds before your very eyes."
The holographic display above the arena flickered to life, showing portraits of the fighters as he read their names.
"These are the matchups for today:
Match 97 - Natsu vs Freya
Match 98 - Nori vs Raiden
Match 99 - Majo vs Sailor
Match 100 - Arisa vs Seiji
Match 101 - Yasu vs Ito
Match 102 - Asuka vs Gaara
Match 103 - Lina vs Masashi
He paused, giving the audience a moment to absorb the list before raising a hand.
"Match 97 participants, please step forward!"
To be continued...