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For a moment, nothing moved. The air stood still as silence stretched on. Slowly, he raised both hands—an unmistakable gesture, one that usually preceded magic.
Elaine and Hinata braced themselves. This was not someone who could be defeated so easily.
Then he did the unexpected. His palms came together once, then again, and again. He applauded.
"You did well."
As he spoke, the remnants of the silver particles drifted away, dissolving into the air.
Elaine reacted immediately, firing a beam straight at his head—but he stepped aside with ease, the attack passing harmlessly by.
"Calm down, Sleeping Princess, it's me."
He added.
She was shocked by the name he called her but wiped it out, knowing it was a possibility the enemy planted.
"You can't fool me."
Elaine raised her hand to strike, but Hinata stepped in, catching her wrist and holding it firmly.
"L—Lady Hinamatsuri?"
"Yin,"
She called out, her voice steady.
"Hm? What happened to Yin?"
Asteri asked, a hint of feigned innocence in his tone—despite being the one responsible.
"What are you doing, Lady Hinamatsuri?"
"You still didn't get it, do you, Elaine? If he had bad intentions, he'd have killed us already, probably."
"What if it was part of his plan? The enemy's plans?"
She pressed. If the enemy can manipulate Asteri's mind, then it's safe to say this is part of their plan.
"Then they would have attacked the Kingdom of Raja too—but they didn't,"
Hinata reassured softly.
Though Magos had no hostile intentions toward Raja, if he had truly wanted to manipulate Asteri as he did in the other timeline, then the Kingdom would have been an obvious target.
"When you two faced him, you held back to avoid destroying the island. And so did he. Who do you think stopped the arc from demolishing the Palace?"
"D-don't tell me…"
"Yes. He didn't kill Yang. He simply separated his consciousness without harming him. And Yin—she was saved from her own powers. The silver light wasn't destructive. It was meant to control and convert excess void into harmless energy. Isn't that right, Ati-chan?"
Her golden eyes locked onto his, patient and unwavering, waiting for confirmation.
"Exactly, my love,"
Asteri replied, a soft smile tugging at his lips. "You're right. I did a wonderful job putting on a show. The fake rage, all while taking serious damage—it was perfect."
"Oh, and I received fair treatment from Yin as well. Thank you."
Atlas stepped forward, the faint hum of death still radiating around him, a grudging respect in his eyes.
Hinata's gaze softened, a quiet warmth passing between them. Even amidst chaos and battle, the understanding and care they shared held steady, unshakable.
"Atlas."
"He knew the truth—but he still wanted a real fight. Maybe next time."
Asteri said with a grin.
"Hinata, you've grown incredibly strong,"
He continued, his tone softening.
"You're even interacting with Energy Fragments."
"Yes,"
She replied calmly.
"I can perceive them naturally."
"N‑naturally?"
He blinked, genuinely taken aback.
"That's not ordinary… not even for Stars."
(Damn cliche xd.)
"Young Master is right, perceiving Energy or accessing its plane, Etherium is extremely rare."
"With manipulating them less than 1% itself."
Asteri finished the explanations.
"Common knowledge, thanks to Lady Elara."
"These runes, what are they?"
Asteri, now standing in front of her, traced a finger along the glowing runes on her skin.
She flushed instantly, her gaze dropping as a wave of embarrassment washed over her.
"According to what I know, it's a symbol tied to Dragon Deities. Only five are known to have borne it."
She began.
"First, the Star Dragon, Supreme Vyrakos, the very first of the Star Realm. Then Supreme Valtorix the Fourth, famed as the Dragon of Strength. Next, Supreme Vajrako the Fifth, who inherited the Star Dragon's knowledge. The fourth was Lady Vel'Korvus, mother of the balance dragons. And the last…"
"You."
"Yes."
She nodded.
"What happened to the person who replaced you?"
She asked. What happened to the Evil Asteri?
"Ah, so you've noticed. We had a deal before I kicked him out."
"A deal?"
"Yeah. Just stick with me. The future will reveal my palns. Now, let's return home."
"Won't he come and attack us again?"
"Don't worry about Magos. I was only playing around the last time it came. I'll be serious this time."
He measured with a smile, and they left, leaving the dragons to recover.
To be continued...