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ANTARES POV
I turned away from the gate and made my way back, finding Sensei still seated on a branch, as though nothing had changed.
"Let's go."
I said.
"How?"
He replied, glancing at me.
"I can't get us out completely. I can take us outside, though."
"Outside what? Kalidor?"
"No. The Star Realm."
I exhaled slowly, weighing the option before giving in. While still in the Star Realm, we have to get out before getting in. This is also a Kalidor mechanism that prevents Dragons from descending to the Pond.
"If that's the only way, then let's move."
"Alright."
He raised his hand, ready to act, but I stopped him.
"Wait. I want to see more of Kalidor."
He raised a brow.
"Those thousand years weren't enough?"
"My journey from Sylith to Velorith only took two days. I barely saw anything."
"That's because teleportation doesn't work here."
A voice replied.
"You either fly… or you escape through raw speed."
Mystralis's voice cut in as he appeared beside us, as composed as ever.
I frowned slightly, recalling the events of that day, the details beginning to align.
'Does he knows I stole the egg? No, I believe the True Void Singularity was with Wú Jí. I should be safe.'
"Oh really?"
Zhou asked, intrigued.
"That explains why it didn't work."
"I'll accompany you guys down. Let's go."
He instructed and waited for us to take the lead. I lead the way with Sensei and Mystralis behind me.
"I can't believe you'll contribute this much to an invader."
He said.
"I'm not surprised you can link me to Wú Jí."
Now that I think about it, I only the True Void Singularity came right before I escaped. Which means I was vulnerable from the starts.
'Oh crap. Well, it's too late to judge me now.'
I sighed in relief.
"Star Dust."
He raised his hand, and it flickered.
'A medium for harnessing Energy power. Just like Arthur Lys.'
"The Dragons did the choosing. I simply took care of them until they hatched."
I said before he could ask the question.
"Well, thanks to you, we have a Deity."
"So, are you gonna lay low for Hinata?"
I asked. Can they just let an outsider gain control over the world they've maintained for long?
"Yanara might've birthed deities but they are absolute. We are only in charge of times when Kalidor is devoid of a Deity. The moment one is chosen, our role is over. We can't be in charge when a deity is still around. There will be a disrespect to the Deity status, First Supreme Vyrakos created."
"That makes sense."
As we flew over Velorith, my light-blue eyes remained fixed on the floating islands, carefully scanning and analysing every detail.
"The High Sovereign has noticed your gaze, Antares."
He said.
'Has he?'
"The Grand Prince's eyes are as precise as ever. I am simply observing the structure."
I replied, masking my presence while quietly multiplying my focus, spreading my awareness across the expanse without drawing further attention.
"And now, I can detect what you're doing."
Mystralis said, glancing at me.
"You can use harness the Scared Fragments of Yuánlì
too, I can see. But not through Star Dust."
He said, probably using Etherium to see everything.
'First Qìnéng now Yuánlì. How many names does this thing have?'
"Yes and no."
"Care to explain?"
"I can interact with them, but I've already surpassed them without fully understanding them. That is what I meant."
"You are the anomaly they have been speaking of, aren't you?"
I gave a slight nod.
"Do they know you wield power like this?"
"They will… in their final moments."
We were only a few kilometres from Sylith when a sudden ripple of energy spread through the air, striking us and throwing everything off balance.
I adjusted instantly, manipulating the wavelength to steady myself, my body remaining still as my gaze snapped back towards where we had come from, Azrith.
"What is that?"
Sensei asked, steadying himself as the ripple faded.
"The Mother of Dragons has taken the Crown—Azrith." Mystralis replied, a quiet smile forming on his lips.
Below us, the Dragon-kin remained motionless, their movements unified as they bowed in reverence to the new Dragon Deity.
"Does this always happen?"
I asked, watching the ritual unfold beneath us. Mystralis gave a slight nod before lowering himself as well, joining the ancient draconic rite without hesitation.
'Hey how long did that wave extend?'
'All the way to the Pond. The Omnis too have received the message. They are...shocked.'
White, who's made of Energy answered the question directed to Energy itself.
"They are about to be blown apart."
I turned and dived into Sylith, my eyes skillfully analysing and scanning. With the help of Energy, I was able to map out the structure of the two Realms.
(It's not for show.)
'That's enough. I'll leave the rest to you.'
'Roger.'
"This is enough."
I said, not expecting the two to be engrossed in a conversation.
"I see."
"So, Sensei. How are you gonna..."
"Goodbye, Mystralis."
Zhou warped space-time, forcing us to be kicked to the saved point. I was caught off guard because, I didn't resist because I wanted to get out, too. Mystralis didn't bother to answer. It seems like this ritual demanded silence.
"Does that not count as teleportation too?"
"Space-time warp… yes and no."
Sensei surged forward, cutting through the Unknown Space with sheer speed, and I followed without hesitation, keeping close behind him.
Then, in the distance, a brilliant blue light tore across the void. At first, it resembled a pulsar, but the density of its energy and the sheer velocity were far beyond any Art.
"A Star?"
I muttered, raising a hand to shield my eyes from the overwhelming glare.
"He found you."
Sensei said.
Before I could process his words, the truth struck me. It was not light, it was lightning.
A blinding azure bolt ripped through the Unknown Space, surging straight towards me with terrifying precision.
"Antares!"
Sensei's voice was drowned out as the strike collided with me, hurling me backwards with unstoppable force.
ZHOU POV
My aura loosened, and the spear, Auxilia, answered my call, forming in my grasp as I turned to face the enemy now standing before me.
My eyes met his, cold and pale, a chilling shade of white-blue, and in that instant, my body locked. I could not move, could not even breathe properly, as though something deeper than force had seized me.
"Paradox of Genius… Zhou."
He spoke my title and my name with quiet certainty, yet no response came from me. The words hung in the air as I remained frozen, caught beneath his gaze.
"Azure bolts, regal outfits, extremely light azure eyes. I know him....'
Before I could even speak his name, the lightning that had struck Antares was sent hurtling back towards him. The bolt trembled mid-flight, its form distorting before it scattered into nothingness.
"God of Judgement… Sabaki!"
Antares's voice cut through as he appeared behind me.
Sabaki's gaze shifted, locking onto him. His clothes were scorched from the earlier strike, yet his skin remained untouched.
"The Sinner, Antares."
Sabaki replied, his tone calm, almost indifferent.
Bolts of lightning began to form behind him, one after another, crackling with immense power. Antares raised his palm towards him, and the bolts trembled violently, caught between their opposing wills as both struggled for control.
"I see."
Sabaki murmured.
In the next instant, countless bolts filled the space, illuminating the Unknown Space with azure lighting.
Without warning, they surge forward as they descended upon Antares. Yet he did not break eye contact. Before they could reach him, the lightning disintegrated, dissolving into nothing just short of impact.
I didn't need to think deep, Antares is using his Silver Dust to mess with the azure energy.
"You have grown this far… impressive."
Sabaki said, a hint of approval in his voice.
Then, in a blur too fast to follow, his foot struck Antares at the temple, sending him flying back. In the same breath, Sabaki stood exactly where he had been, as though he had never moved at all.
ANTARES POV
'What speed? Did he even move?'
'He did.'
White answered.
'You haven't reached the level where you can see everyone's moves extremely slowly. You're still part of the system.'
I took off midair, the smile on my face gone long ago.
"Sensei, are you joining me or what?"
I asked coldly, keeping my gaze on Sabaki.
"Forgive me, God of Judgement, but I can't let anyone harm the Young Master. Lady Elara's order, and I must abide."
"Summon them, and I'll take you three at once."
"Say that again?"
I asked, my eyes burning with anger.
"I said, summon them, and I can't take you three at once."
Sabaki flinched as his words didn't come out as earlier. Antares amplified his thoughts.
"Unforgivable."
We moved at the same time, leaving him no space to react. White rested firmly in my grasp, while Sensei advanced beside me with Auxilia poised to strike.
Our attacks came in quick succession, precise and relentless, each one aimed to end the exchange before it could begin. Yet nothing landed. Not a single strike even brushed his clothes.
He moved through it all with ease, slipping past every blow with the smallest shifts of his body, his speed minimal, almost lazy, as though our efforts held no weight against him.
'He's not moving as fast as he did, and we still can't touch him? What a monster.'
'As expected of an Omni who's holding back with his vessel.'
"You can touch me."
He spoke, and with those words, the impossible bent into reality.
In that brief opening, I saw it, he had taken the bait. As expected, his response came instantly, a back kick aimed to shut me down. I shifted, White morphing in my grip, stretching into a staff as I drove it into his abdomen.
The strike landed cleanly, yet he did not move in the slightest. There was no recoil, as though the blow carried no weight against him, lacking the destructive force needed to matter.
"Finally."
I said, wiping the blood from my mouth, a faint smile forming despite the pressure bearing down on me.
"You think luck will present itself again?"
"Who knows?"
'He just broke free from my word invasion. I guess he has same authority like mine.'
Word Invasion is an act of making someone say something, thus applying the causality of said words. Vocydrix & Logosark is getting to work.
'Yes, he does.'
White answered, again.
'His words carry authority, weight, and influence. It's resistant and can sometimes do what you just did. Command Energy. But unlike you, he doesn't do it consciously.'
"What a pain. Your more like Entares but worse."
We leapt forward to strike, but mid-air, a bell formed in his hand. Before we could react, he rang it once, the first gong echoing through the Unknown Space.
The vibration spread outward, refusing to fade, unsettling everything it touched, even Energy itself. It did not strike the Fragment directly, yet it shattered its harmony, a resonance so precise and violent it snapped Filaments apart.
I dropped to my knees before I even understood what was happening, a scream tearing from my throat without warning. The Energy around me convulsed, twisting in ways it never should, so violently that bonds and Filaments began to fracture and collapse.
White started to break apart in my hand, its form disintegrating under the strain, while space itself trembled and split, the very threads holding it together unravelling under the relentless echo.
"Divine Bell of Reckoning?"
Zhou asked, his voice calm, unaffected by the chaos unraveling around us.
"Judgment Toll. Anyone I call a sinner shan't escape."
Sabaki explained, his words chilling in their certainty.
'So that's why I'm una…ected. I'll use this sneak-up and attack to free An…ares. Attacking him he…don is suicide, of course.'
Sensei's thoughts fractured mid-plan, but his strategy was still forming, and so was mine.
I scrambled to counter immediately, searching for a way to escape. That's when the clapper closed the distance with blinding speed, releasing a second gong.
Time seemed to stop, not because it did, but because I simply couldn't move. It wasn't paralysis caused by an attack. It was him.
Above, Sensei looked up just in time to see the largest bolt of lightning I had ever witnessed strike him down. It was no ordinary lightning, nor mere azure; the surrounding Energy itself was twisted to trigger absolute destruction. One strike, and everything within its vicinity was reduced to nothing.
"Final Verdict. Who knew you were playing at taking me down, Zhou?"
He said, the bell still suspended midair as he slowly approached me, his presence alone warping the space around us.
'How. That's manipulation, but was it intentional or merely a skill-based stuff?'
"Your sins have surpassed the worst limitations. You have no right to receive any bit of mercy from the Merciful Judge."
He declared, raising his hands to strike.
"Divine…"
He faltered as I materialised behind him, above him, and flanking both sides, each version of me poised to strike despite the chaotic, unstable surroundings.
Our attacks landed simultaneously, yet he did not flinch. He merely whispered,
"Supreme Babylon."
Unstable golden portals shimmered into existence, each summoning a weapon to intercept our strikes.
"I shall destroy you then."
The moment my weapons collided with his, a destructive aura erupted, converting all energy into the azure force fuelling his being, unleashing a continuous explosion.
I was degraded instantly; the aura surged toward the last remaining version of me. The magic energy I had once controlled now became a foreign, annihilating force.
In that split second, Ton phased through the chaos, slipping between the ruptured layers of Unknown Space. A vortex spiralled to life around us as he invoked Space-Time Displacement, warping reality itself to secure our retreat.
The vortex shattered before contact, and Sabaki's aura vanished immediately.
'He survived? As expected of the one wielding the Supreme Art, God's Patience.'
"Fleeing unto another world, are ye? Behold, we shall meet again, and none shall escape My reckoning."
Sabaki muttered to himself, his formal tone restoring itself once again.
He stood amidst the unstable field of Energy. The moment he turned, an azure portal swallowed him whole, and he vanished.
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To be continued...