Chapter 616: Catching Up
She spoke, but then, surprise spread across her face as she watched Ryuk step forward, embracing her in a warm hug.
“Thank you, Aster, for staying, when you could have left…” he whispered into her ear, as Aster’s focused expression slowly turned glassy.
Then, her arms wrapped around his back, hugging him deeply.
“I’m so glad you’re okay…” she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion, her tears soaking into his shoulder.
The soft clench of teeth in relief echoed faintly in Ryuk’s mind.
“I am, Aster. And it’s very relieving to know you’re doing fine too.”
“Although, I have to say, I didn’t quite expect a business partner to miss my stubborn head so much…” he added cheekily after a moment passed in the embrace.
Aster finally let go, scoffing with a flustered glare.
“Shut up, you goof. I don’t!”
Ryuk grinned.
“Let’s go in…” Antares’s voice rang out, his hand resting on Ryuk’s shoulder as they all floated downwards toward the building, disappearing inside.
_________
“I was afraid you all were caught up in the explosion. I did have hope of Rakshasa surviving it, though…” Ryuk’s voice rang out through the living room where they all sat—steaming cups of coffee in hand and trays of fried chips laid out before them.
Of course, the snacks were made by none other than Ryuk himself, who thought it suited the mood of the conversation.
The TV played quietly in the background, news of the war’s end and the Endearthians’ departure to their own worlds flickering across the screen.
It was a slow report, but it helped balance the atmosphere in the room.
“The big guy was close to me, so we helped each other out…” Void said, sticking out his tongue, dripping with milk, as Antares, seated beside him, rolled his eyes.
“He almost got turned furless from the blast, though,” Antares added.
Ryuk snickered, watching Void’s jaw drop.
“But to be fair, he teleported us quite a fair distance away, so I guess it did something, at least…” he continued, causing Void’s nose to twitch as he resumed sipping his milk.
“Rakshasa helped the rest of us out. She’s very strong…” Isha said from Ryuk’s side.
Ryuk turned to glance at Rakshasa, who flashed him a mischievous grin before replying.
“I just wonder, Ryuk… You do know that the spatial explosion wiped out 65% of the Knulls alive, right? If you were that powerful, why even bring out that Army of yours and require our help? Seems like you could have wiped everyone out yourself…”
Ryuk shook his head.
“Not really. Unleashing that level of power was mostly driven by rage. You could say I lost my mind back then.”
“Besides, I couldn’t have faced an entire army alone while also dealing with Morne and then Zar’kul. I would have exhausted too much energy fighting both, and definitely died to Zar’kul.”
“And if I died to Zar’kul, it would’ve all been over. So your help was a huge factor in winning the war…” he said, and they all slowly nodded.
But then Aster asked:
“I’m guessing Morne is that big Knull bird we saw at the beginning. But then, who is Zar’kul?”
That question made Ryuk remember. His battle with Zar’kul hadn’t taken place on Endearth, but in space.
They likely never saw him at all—only recognized the powerful shockwave from their first attacks.
“Just another Knull, but stronger than Morne,” he replied.
“But… I thought Morne was the Knull Emperor or something. He seemed stronger than the usual Knull Kings…” she said, but Ryuk gently shook his head again.
“No. There are Knull Wanderers. Then there are pseudo-Knull Kings.”
“Those guys you refer to as Knull Kings aren’t true Knull Kings.”
“Morne is the true Knull King,” he explained.
Then Antares asked:
“So then Zar’kul is a what?”
“A Knull Emperor?” he guessed.
Ryuk replied:
“No. He’s a Knull Calamity. One of seven of them,” he said, exhaling deeply.
“To think… There are seven more like him out there. That’s crazy,” he muttered as Ryuk nodded.
“It is. Considering that Zar’kul is number seven— most likely the weakest among them—and he’s that strong, I can’t imagine how powerful the others must be.”
“Or how terrifying will the number one be?” he murmured under his breath.
A faint silence followed before Rakshasa’s sly grin returned as she teased:
“Sounds like you plan on going after them all… or why else would you care?”
All eyes instantly turned to Ryuk.
“I don’t know,” he said, trying to sip his coffee, but paused when he noticed their stares narrowing with suspicion.
“What?”
“You do plan on going after them all?”
“What? Have you gone insane?” Aster asked, and Ryuk rolled his eyes.
“I just said, I don’t know. And what’s with accusing me of going insane anyway?” he asked, his face scrunched in confusion.
“You sound in awe of a Knull Calamity—who’s number seven—and now you’re talking like you’ll face the rest. How is that not insane?”
“And the last time you mentioned taking on the Knulls, you said you no longer needed the top factions, and you’d do it alone—”
“I never said alone. I said you and me,” Ryuk corrected.
“Awwwwwnnn. That’s so cute…” Rakshasa chimed with a mock-lovey expression as Ryuk rolled his eyes.
“I didn’t mean it like that…”
“Okay, Ladyboy…” she replied, giggling, and Ryuk could only think
‘ I wonder when I’ll finally be rid of the names…’
But then his expression turned serious as his hand slowly hovered forward, and then it appeared out of thin air.
All eyes fixated on the mysterious book that emerged from the void, and they all soon recognized it to be a contract grimoire.
Of them all, Aster’s eyes gleamed the most, for the contract grimoire he brought out… was hers.
“I think I’ve delayed you enough, Asteralaxia,” Ryuk said as she turned to look at him.
“Still remember the terms?”
——
A/N:
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In and Out_SnowySmoos