Stelle stared at the space where the black-clad man had vanished. She turned to Phainon, her brow slightly furrowed. "That guy... what exactly is he?"
Phainon's gaze remained fixed on the direction the black-clad man had left, his voice low. "A ghost obsessed with seizing Titan Coreflames. We don't know when he appears, or even if he can still be called 'human.'"
"All we know is that every time a Titan is successfully hunted, he appears like a shadow, trying to steal the fruits of victory. So... we call him... the Flame Reaver."
That name seemed to make the surrounding air grow several degrees heavier.
"This is no place to linger," Hysilens walked over. Her voice had regained its usual composure, but a trace of undispersed vigilance remained in her eyes. "We should take the Strife Coreflame and leave quickly. No one said that fellow would only make one attempt."
...
Okhema, Dawncloud Cliffs, Worldbearing Altar.
At the center of the altar, six bluish-purple Coreflames still slowly rotated, emitting a soft, mysterious halo.
However, the seventh Coreflame in Stelle's hand—the one belonging to 'Time' Oronyx—was now causing a minor stir.
"Mi... Mem, now, doesn't want, to hand over, Coreflame." Mimi clutched tightly to Stelle's sleeve, its small body almost completely hidden behind her, only half its head peeking out as it timidly expressed its wish.
The Coreflame symbolizing the authority of 'Time' glowed softly in its embrace.
Hysilens looked at the little creature, a helpless expression on her face. She tried to persuade it in a gentle tone. "This is the rule, little one. All Coreflames must ultimately converge here. It's for the sake of Amphoreus—"
"Enough, 'Dux Gladiorum'." Cerydra's crisp voice interrupted Hysilens. She crossed her arms, her petite frame carrying an air of unquestionable authority. "There's no need to pressure the little one too much."
She turned to Stelle and Mem, her gaze sweeping between them. "If it does not wish to submit it now, let it hold onto it for the time being. After all, according to our original plan, the 'Time' Coreflame was always meant to be the second-to-last to be submitted. And besides..."
Her eyes fell on Mem, carrying a hint of imperceptible consideration. "It truly can wield the authority of the 'Time' demigod even now, without the 'Time' Coreflame being formally submitted here."
"However..." Cerydra's gaze shifted to Stelle, her tone flat as she added, "In that case, she probably won't be able to use the opportunity of submitting a Coreflame to fulfill her own 'wish.'"
Hearing this, a flicker of regret passed through Stelle's heart. She had actually always been curious: if Kephale weren't in its current giant form, but were instead swapped for a giant, human-shaped trash can...
If the King of the Next Bin were to bear the Dawn Device on its back, what a uniquely "spectacular" and "distinctive" sight that would be?
But alas...
Stelle could only mutter silently in her heart: Oh Mem, your insistence has cost me a potential chance to step onto the Path of Elation.
Thinking of this, a bit of curiosity stirred in her. Stelle looked towards the gentle Aglaea beside her and couldn't help but ask:
"Speaking of which... I'm curious. What kind of wishes did you demigods actually make when you submitted your Coreflames and ascended to your divine stations?"
Hearing this, Aglaea's jewel-like beautiful eyes lowered slightly. She fell into brief contemplation before speaking in a tone tinged with reminiscence:
"Our wishes? I presume you already know about Tribbie—that is, our teacher Tribios, the world's first demigod. Her wish was to 'split herself.'"
"She believed the power of an individual ultimately has limits. Only with thousands of 'selves' working in unison could people truly be united and this land protected."
She raised her hand gently and continued. "Next was the 'Earth' demigod, Terravox. At that time, thanks to our teacher's unrelenting efforts, survivors from various regions had begun gathering in Okhema, seeking sanctuary."
"However, Terravox's kin—those mountainous Dromases—their forms were far too colossal. Even the ever-expanding holy city could not possibly accommodate all the great beasts to dwell in peace."
"Terravox witnessed his kin's longing for light and safety. He abandoned a wish that could have strengthened himself and instead pleaded with the Dawn Device. In the end, he received the boon allowing Dromases to freely shift between their beast form and a more city-friendly humanoid form."
"He secured a dwelling place for his people. That is also why there seem to be no adult Dromas within the holy city, and why only immature ones are in the pastures."
"As for the third to ascend, the 'Law' demigod Cerydra..." Aglaea's tone grew uncharacteristically hesitant here, as if weighing her words, considering whether to reveal that colleague's little secret.
"Ahem," Hysilens beside her timely gave a light cough, taking over the narrative. A trace of rare amusement lifted the corner of her usually cool and detached mouth. "Let me tell it. Our esteemed 'Imperator' originally wished for—all citizens within Okhema who have reached sixteen years of age and are under one hundred and fifty centimeters in height to be able to... well, smoothly grow to one hundred and fifty centimeters."
"D-Dux Gladiorum!!!" Cerydra's petite face instantly flushed crimson. She tried to explain, her voice stumbling a bit in her haste. "What do you know! I was... I was seeking welfare for my people! I love my people as my children! I... I was worried children who were too short would be bullied outside! It's bad for their self-confidence! This is... this was..." She blurted out a stream of reasons, trying to cover up the rather obvious truth.
Stelle's gaze involuntarily fell on Cerydra's petite figure, which just barely met the one-hundred-fifty-centimeter standard line, and she fell into thought.
No way, sister? From the sound of it, were you even shorter before?
Hysilens temporarily ignored the colleague beside her who seemed about to explode from a mix of shame and fury, and continued her account. "As for my wish... in a sense, it was similar in original intent to Terravox's."
"The earliest Black Tide was far more rampant and destructive in the oceans than on land. My Siren sisters and I paid unimaginable sacrifices to barely suppress the Tide in the seas temporarily."
"However, Okhema is a holy city on land. There aren't vast enough bodies of water here for my kin to swim and live freely."
"Therefore, I made a wish, granting my sisters the ability to better adapt to terrestrial environments. Now, under the holy city's protection, they live and fight alongside us."
"And then, it was my turn." Aglaea took over, her gaze growing soft yet firm.
"You must have seen it—that net woven from countless golden threads surrounding the holy city's periphery, capable of both repelling enemies and detecting malice."
"That is the physical manifestation of my wish. I wished to use 'romance' as threads, to weave for Okhema a barrier that blocks danger and intercepts malice."
"As for the last one, Cifera..." Aglaea was just about to continue.
"Cifera—that girl naive to the point of foolishness, didn't think twice at the time. She just wished upon the Dawn Device that no one in this world would ever need to rely on deception and trickery to sustain their lives."
A voice tinged with a hint of mockery suddenly interjected, cutting Aglaea off.
Cipher had, at some unknown time, quietly ascended the altar. Her steps were light, her face wearing its signature phantom thief smile.
Cipher spread her hands, her tone carrying a mix of derision and pity. "And the result? Okhema didn't change one bit. See? A chance to make a wish, wasted just like that."
A flicker of inscrutable light danced in her eyes, making it impossible to tell if she truly regretted making that wish or not.