Chapter 408
The air that had previously been dense with psychic pressure, surging elemental energy, and the searing authority of gold now felt light—almost thin.
For a few moments, it was as if nature itself hesitated, unable to believe that the vortex of that storm had truly passed.
Then, gradually, the sounds of the night began to gather the courage to return, filling the emptiness with their familiar songs.
The distinct chirping of crickets echoed from the bushes along the edge of the field, breaking the silence with their steady rhythm.
From afar, somewhere damp and unseen, the croaking of frogs answered one another, forming a simple symphony of nature.
The night wind, which earlier had seemed frozen or trapped within a limited swirl, now began to blow freely again, sweeping across the field with a gentle whisper.
It stirred the branches of the trees surrounding the area, producing a humble rustling sound.
Even faint footsteps could now be heard—perhaps from small nocturnal creatures returning to their activity after the terrifying pressure vanished, or merely from the earth itself readjusting once more.
00:59 was displayed upon the dark sky, marking the nearing end of the first hour of the new day.
The pale moonlight remained faithful in illuminating the scene, now free from any distortion or anomaly.
It highlighted Ilux's unmoving body lying on the ground, the sole physical evidence left behind from the insane battle that had just occurred.
The atmosphere returned to normal, as it should for an empty field in the middle of the night.
"Passing quietly."
The night's restored silence was suddenly disturbed.
Exactly ten seconds after everything felt normal again, a faint visual distortion appeared at the edge of the field, near a line of bushes.
The air trembled like heat reflecting off the ground, and then from nothingness, two human figures fully materialized.
It was as if they had stepped out from a perfect layer of camouflage—a power that had rendered them unseen and unheard throughout the entire spectacle of chaos earlier.
The first figure was a man whose appearance was striking in all the wrong ways.
He was a samurai, yet the aura he emitted was far removed from the image of an honorable warrior.
His clothing still retained elements of tradition, but it appeared worn and poorly maintained, accompanied by a lazy posture and sharp eyes filled with greedy calculation.
His face might have been handsome, but it was ruined by a cynical expression and an undisguised lust.
He was the kind of man who thought of only two things.
Money and the satisfaction of his lower desires.
His presence immediately contaminated the field's newly restored calm, bringing with it a vulgar energy of greed and depravity.
Beside him stood a young woman.
She looked about sixteen years old, with long white hair cascading like a silver waterfall beneath the moonlight.
That hair contrasted sharply with her youthful appearance.
She might have been beautiful, but there was a certain emptiness—or passivity—in her expression, as if she were merely an accessory or decoration for the depraved samurai beside her.
She did not step far from him, standing slightly behind, subtly reinforcing the hierarchy between them.
'Flo Viva Mythology never disappoints—especially when tragedy unfolds exactly as the script demands.'
The two figures now possessed names and identities that completely altered the perception of their presence.
The unkempt-haired samurai with greedy eyes was Theo Vkytor, a complex entity with a dark reputation.
And the long white-haired woman beside him was not merely a companion; she was Aldraya Kansh Que, a former Supreme Angel, a former instructor at the Star Academy, a figure whose power had once been feared and respected.
Her youthful appearance concealed an immeasurable cosmic age and experience.
Their presence here was no coincidence.
Everything was part of a carefully designed scenario.
In accordance with Theo Vkytor's intention to witness firsthand the entire sequence of events within "Arc One Scenario, Episode 11 – Beginning" of the game they called Flo Viva Mythology, he and Aldraya had deliberately acted as the unseen masterminds behind the curtain.
They were the bait-givers, the subtle arrangers who carefully provoked the conflict between Ilux and Xavier, ensuring that the clash destined for this episode unfolded exactly according to the "script" they knew—or desired.
From behind the flawless camouflage of their power, Theo and Aldraya had remained invisible spectators throughout the entire performance.
They witnessed every detail.
From the inner conflict within the room, the physical manifestation of Xavier, the uneven duel in the empty field, to its bitter climax—the stripping of Ilux's power and the legend's departure.
They observed every elemental eruption, every distortion of perception, every psychological blow, and every shift of power, all from an undetectable front-row seat.
"The scenario isn't finished yet. This is merely a pause for breath. So tell me—are you ready to follow me, and watch how a Hero of Humanity walks without his mask?"
Yet for Theo Vkytor, the end of that battle was not the conclusion of the story.
It was merely a transition between acts.
His understanding that the greater game scenario, Flo Viva Mythology, was still continuing meant he had no intention of lingering here.
With a smooth motion, he extended his right hand toward Aldraya, a gesture that was both a question and a command.
The question was about readiness.
Whether this former Supreme Angel was prepared to leave this post-climax scene and continue their roles within a far broader narrative.
To Theo, Ilux's body lying on the ground was nothing more than a prop that had completed its function within this episode—a checkpoint already passed.
Their next destination was already clear.
Theo hinted that the focus now shifted toward Arc One, Episode 11 – Middle, which would center entirely on the journey of Xavier XVII.
The legend who had just reclaimed his power and vanished through a pentagonal portal had now become the primary subject of observation.
Theo and Aldraya's mission was to pursue him.
They would trace, observe, and monitor every movement Xavier made throughout his journey across universes.
Every world he entered, every interaction he formed, every goal he pursued would remain under the watchful gaze of two hidden pairs of eyes.
They would become the shadows trailing the true protagonist of this arc.
"As long as it is your hand guiding my steps, I will follow you wherever this journey takes us."
Aldraya did not need long to think.
Before Theo's open gesture and question, her response came immediately and firmly.
Her head crowned with silver-white hair moved in a steady nod.
The movement was simple, yet it carried deep commitment—a surrender of direction to the depraved samurai who seemed to understand the map of this grand game.
Not merely a nod, Aldraya continued with a clear verbal declaration.
Her voice still carried the remnants of her former authority as a Supreme Angel, though now it sounded calmer, more obedient, expressing a principle of loyalty in their shared journey.
As long as Theo's hand guided the path, as long as he controlled the direction and decisions, Aldraya would follow him.
Wherever the journey took them—across any universe, through whatever obstacles—they might face, she would remain by his side.
Sssshhhh!
Haaaah!!
With their decision affirmed and their mission clear before them, Theo and Aldraya wasted no more time.
To be continued…