The tense silence made everyone feel suffocated, as if the void itself had tightened around them and refused to loosen its grip.
Especially Remiel, who was bearing the heaviest pressure among them all. Transcendents... damn it, why did they arrive so early this time...
He silently cursed his terrible luck, his thoughts churning as the weight of the situation pressed down on his mind as much as on his body.
Logically speaking, the Transcendents should have taken much longer to arrive. There had been many cases in the past where, after the Gates of Heavens were opened, the Transcendents only appeared after several days had passed, sometimes even later depending on the circumstances.
After all, their numbers were extremely limited, and no one could ever predict in which corner of the vast starry sky the Gates would descend.
Usually, the Transcendent closest to the Gates would be the one to respond and investigate, while the others remained occupied with matters tied to their own paths and responsibilities.
But who could have imagined that not one, but two Transcendents would arrive here, and in such a short span of time, as if the fate itself had decided to interfere.
One could only blame their misfortune that two Transcendents happened to be present near the world of Akumia at the exact moment the Gates descended.
Because of this unexpected development, the original plan of swiftly dealing with Aamon and taking him back to the Heavenly Realm was no longer feasible.
Just as Remiel felt the tension approaching its peak, the Demi God holding Aamon’s head finally spoke. Even now, Aamon was still tapping the Angel’s hand gripping his head, desperately asking him to loosen his hold, his movements weak yet persistent despite his sealed state.
The Demi God completely ignored it, treating Aamon’s resistance as something beneath his notice.
"No, we will not hand him over. You both should leave. You are interfering with our work."
His voice was cold and devoid of any emotion, steady and final. Yet Elizabeth and Perseus showed no signs of intimidation or retreat. Instead, they began communicating with each other at lightning speed, their expressions remaining calm on the surface while their thoughts moved rapidly.
"Should we use force, Brother?"
"Using force could escalate the situation beyond control. Our numbers are far too few. If this turns into a full conflict, we will lose everything, and most of our people will die before it even reaches a conclusion."
"Then what should we do? There is an actual Rune Bearer standing right in front of us. Even if the usage of Runes does not align with the Path of Transcendence, only an idiot would let go of a Rune. Aren’t you also curious about what a Rune truly looks like, and how it functions in reality?"
"Curiosity is one thing, responsibility is another. We cannot let our selfish desires bring harm to others or disrupt the fragile balance that still exists."
"I know. Then should we contact Master? If he arrives, I believe nothing will go wrong, and this situation can be resolved without unnecessary losses."
"Indeed. Rather than summoning him outright, it would be better to first ask for his judgment. We will act strictly according to his will."
In fact, they were not the only ones contacting their higher authorities. Even the Demi God Angels were secretly transmitting information back to the Heavenly Realm, doing so with extreme caution, careful not to provoke an immediate or excessive response.
Both sides remained silent, waiting for instructions from those higher on the cosmic ladder, neither willing to take the first step.
A response that could either lead to a devastating confrontation, or to something entirely unexpected that would reshape the situation completely.
They stared at each other without making a move, neither side attacking nor retreating, creating an atmosphere so tense that it felt as if the void itself had grown heavier with every passing second. Each side was fully aware that the other had already contacted their higher ups and was simply waiting for an answer.
Coincidentally, both sides received their responses at the same time.
[Hold on. Wait for reinforcements. I am informing the Eternal Supreme about this matter.]
[Do not act. I am sending my avatar.]
Neither side reacted outwardly, their expressions carefully controlled despite the weight behind those words.
They all understood that acting now would only result in massive losses on both sides. Even though the number of Transcendents across the Cosmos was very few, there existed something far more terrifying among them.
A Transcendent Eternal Supreme.
That single fact alone was enough to restrain even the pride of the Heavenly Realm, forcing them to wait rather than act.
They did not have to wait for long. Within a few minutes, a vast presence descended upon the starry sky, spreading outward like an invisible tide. It was otherworldly and pure, carrying a unique aloofness, as if it existed far above all mortal concerns, emotions, and struggles.
Above them, space split open, its surface cracking like fragile glass. The presence intensified further, pressing down on the star-filled void as if straining it to its absolute limits. The moment it fully descended, everyone present was forced to kneel where they stood, their bodies reacting instinctively to a pressure that could not be resisted through will, strength, or cultivation.
Elizabeth and Perseus both spat out blood, their internal power thrown into chaos as the being showed no mercy toward them for their weakness. The pressure was absolute, cold, and utterly indifferent, as if their pain and resistance were beneath notice.
Master, you are late. The Eternal Supreme of the Heavenly Realm arrived before you could.....
As these thoughts crossed their minds, space split open once more, tearing apart the already strained void.
Another presence descended, one that felt ageless, timeless, ancient, and yet strangely calm, as if it had already transcended everything that existed within the Cosmos. Unlike the previous one, this presence did not force itself upon the surroundings. Instead, it simply existed, and that alone was enough. The moment it appeared, the overwhelming pressure acting on Elizabeth and Perseus was severed completely, vanishing as if it had never been there.
Elizabeth’s expression lit up with unmistakable joy, her eyes gleaming with relief and reverence. Even Perseus could not help but smile as he felt the familiar and reassuring presence of his master spread gently across the surroundings.
The sky remained torn open, and the presences had descended, yet neither Eternal Supreme made a direct appearance.
Their true descent would have affected everything within countless light years. If that had happened, entire star systems would have collapsed, and trillions of lives would have been crushed simply by existing too close to them.
Because of this, whenever their presence was required, they sent incarnations through the void between the Realms. These incarnations carried less than one tenth of their presence, not even a fragment of their true power, allowing them to communicate and intervene without erasing everything around them.
Even so, the incarnation still placed an immense burden on the Mortal Realm, whose laws and rules were far weaker compared to the other two Realms.
Despite this limitation, the pressure released by both Eternal Supreme incarnations was already terrifying.
It was not even their power, only a fraction of their presence.
If the true aura of an Eternal Supreme had descended upon this place, Elizabeth and Perseus would not have merely spat out blood.
They would have faced death itself.
While on one side, the incarnations of two Eternal Supremes had appeared, on the other side, within the world of Akumia, inside the sealed area created by the Angels, something else was unfolding.
A body buried beneath a multitude of debris and shattered rubble slowly stirred awake.
Where am I?
Orien’s mind felt fuzzy and disoriented, his thoughts slow to form as the aftereffects of using his bloodline ability to feign death lingered within him. The ability allowed him to perfectly mimic death, but it placed a heavy burden on both his body and consciousness, leaving him momentarily detached from reality after awakening.
Then, without warning, a massive surge of memories rushed into his mind.
They were not his memories.
To be precise, they belonged to Aamon.
Through the deep bloodline connection between them, Aamon had transferred his memories to Orien before departing. The moment Aamon arrived in the world of Akumia, those memories had already been passed on, unsealed and complete.
As the memories settled and aligned themselves within his consciousness, Orien quickly came to understand everything that had transpired while he had been unconscious.
A sharp glint passed through his eyes as realization struck him fully.
Looks like father was able to see through my act.
Although he could clearly feel his father’s anger and disappointment toward him for opening the Abyssal Gates, that was not all. Beneath that frustration existed a far deeper and colder rage, one that was unmistakably directed toward those who had wronged his mother.
Orien could not determine whether the Demon King had intended for him to witness all of this, or if, due to the urgency of the situation, he simply had no time to alter or filter the memories before leaving.
But to think he got his hands on a Rune and even comprehended some parts of it.....
The weight of that realization pressed heavily on Orien’s mind, making his breath unconsciously slow.
Looks like father is still hiding lots of secrets from me.....
***
A/N: Sigh...Reader, if you feel the quality of the low, sorry for that. You know I am not at home currently and the environment is very important factor in writing.
Sorry again!!!!!