Aaron and Akari sat beside the Angel in two chairs pulled out of a storage closet, the gilded thrones still reserved for the Sea Kings and the president.
They did not exchange any words as they watched Eren Astelion, freshly healed from his injuries, step out onto the battlefield against Bianca Santoro.
It was the second semi-final match of the day, the very same battle that would determine who would face Masaru Kurogane in the fight for the strongest.
The announcer roared with enthusiasm, the crowd mirroring his sentiment as the two magic users took their positions.
Aaron glanced over at the Angel, her hand gripped tightly along the edge of her throne while her eyes bore down on the arena floor.
The Multimage could be seen taking a glance upward at the unusual presence, yet lacked the ability to detect the holy woman's figure beyond the viewing box's barrier.
Before she could attempt to force her way through such a defense, the sound of the firework launching upward triggered their fight.
Her wooden staff, made from a material long-lost to humanity, flashed into existence, immediately firing various spells.
Using his Mana Vision, the blond boy intently watched and listened to each spellform that left the woman's mouth as she dodged illusions with ease.
The midday sun made the reflected afterimages appear glossy, a giveaway to their falsehoods, hurting Astelion's disguise.
『Harbinger of the Endless Winter』
A chill instantly engulfed the arena, ice coating the glass window that stood in front of Aaron's view.
Breathing out slowly, he realized he could see his own breath, the freezing temperatures consuming the desert air.
That was not all, as in that incoming frost, a monster formed from the snowy conditions, something that could only be compared to a golem.
Its head resembled a glacier while the beast's body was as sturdy as obsidian, its glowing light-blue eyes spasming as it searched for its opponent.
Quickly locking onto the Star-Drowned Marshal ahead of him, the golem roared with rage, charging forward without care.
Bianca Santoro continued casting spells without delay; the more random the spell, the more irritation and strain appeared across Astelion's expression.
Holding his own cane outward, he thrusted the weapon out with such pointed force that the air itself was pierced by his precision.
Above his head, the ice golem slammed its rocky hand downward, his own cane meeting it halfway, creating a clash of sparks.
Aaron's eyes were captivated by the spectacle, his body subconsciously leaning forward as he tried to get a better view.
As he watched the man and beast trade blows, he felt a cool wind brush against his ears, his head instantly whipping to the right.
"M-miss?"
Maria Elaris gently blew in his ear, her chains rattling quietly as she held up a piece of paper for the boy to read.
"If you can't see, then we can move to the balcony."
The blond boy looked at her and then at the glaring Akari, who disliked the woman's closeness with Aaron, determining that outside, he could at least jump from the ledge if the pink-haired girl tried to attack the pontiff.
"Let's go to the balcony…"
Standing up slowly but never allowing his eyes to leave the fight, he slipped through the hidden doorway that led into the frozen world outside.
The cold ate away at the warmth clinging to his flesh, the color in his cheeks instantly brightening, and his ears turning cherry pink.
Akari was much of the same, however, oddly enough, the Angel's form radiated such a divine warmth that the particles of frost didn't even attempt to touch her.
Lucky…
Shaking his head and leaning over the cold metal railing, he stared downward at the now clear, unobstructed battle below.
Feeling the hum of the barrier that Cauron Thorn was holding up on the other edge of the arena, he couldn't help but frown, thinking that the damage was his own doing.
Of course, it was his own fault; however, could one truly blame the blond boy for fighting to the fullest extent and believing a Sea King's shield would hold?
Chuckling, his attention was quickly grabbed by the sound of metal being knocked away, Eren Astelion's cane vanishing from his grip.
Is that all?
Furrowing his brow in confusion, he inspected the scene closely while strengthening his Mana Vision to his fullest extent.
Watching the normally invisible spells shoot from the Multimage's staff, he soon realized why the powerful, contracted Marshal was failing to fight back.
Dozens of stifling binds wrapped around the man's body, forcing him into reality-grounding scenarios that prevented an illusion.
One held his spirit in a perpetual bubble of melodies performed by the King of Songs, while another altered the man's depth perception by less than a millimeter.
These microscopic infractions kept the man's mind in a sealed state, preventing his illusory technique from activating.
Clearly, as he continued to lose ground against further spellcraft and the golem's physical strikes, the woman was succeeding.
Slowly but surely, he was pushed up against the orange barrier, and the sound of the mystical wall sizzling his already injured back echoed throughout the coliseum.
Some spectators turned their gazes away in memory of the terrible wound that they had witnessed before, not wishing to see something of the sort again.
Others leaned forward in their seats, anxious to see what the man would do to fight against the oncoming barrage.
And as Aaron joined the second group of those who believed this wouldn't be the end, a brief smile flashed across the man's face, the only warning of what was to come.
Bianca's eyes flashed with shock, her arms slamming the butt of her staff into the sand and dissolving the golem instantly.
Holding her ground with all her might, she heard whispers blast the stadium from all sides, the blue sky above turning dark with every passing second.
"What's happening?"
Akari looked up with a shocked expression across her face, the Angel shaking her head in disbelief.
The one to answer the pink-haired question was, in fact, one not truly even there, a woman who resided within Ocean's Bane.
『The pinnacle of a subcontract with the God of Illusions… The ability to influence the Gates of Heaven. The fact that he is pushing it to this extent likely means that this will be his final attack…』
Releasing a gentle hum into the blond boy's ears, Penelope, along with every person within the stadium, watched with bated breath as the white specks of light above aligned in a constellation resembling that of a five-pointed star.
His purple hair flickered with heavenly radiance, the feeling of Divine Interference crackling beneath his flesh, making Aaron tense up.
As he prepared to activate Absolute Tranquility, he felt an overwhelming surge of light envelop the entire arena, his own eyes flashing with a strange magenta as the Star-Drowned Marshal's voice came out in a whisper.
『Astral Palimpsest』
At the sound, the boy's mind cracked, the influence of the deity within him resisting against the powerful illusion that coated the battlefield.
Then, with a solid push, it shattered, Aaron's consciousness returning in a flash as he stared downward at the arena.
His eyes darted around, confusion gripping his thoughts as a painful headache rasped at his temples.
What just…
He looked beside him, the sight of both the Angel and Akari, whose eyes looked to be mixed with sparkles of magenta stars, their bodies still and unmoving.
Reaching out his hand slowly, he waved it in front of the golden-haired woman's face, no reaction following.
Is she in the illusion?
Trying the same thing with Akari, he received the same results, with the only difference being their breathing rhythm.
The Angel seems to have slowed her breathing and is in a state of semi-awareness while Akari is fully asleep…
Looking over the entire stadium as a whole, his brow raised in shock as he realized that not just the two beside him, but rather the entire arena as a whole was in the same wide-eyed state of hypnosis.
H-how can he reach this many people at once?
Focusing on the man who walked slowly through the center of the battlefield, he watched as Eren Astelion shook his head solemnly, his target the woman in white who struggled against the illusion.
Beside Aaron, the sound of the golden-eyed woman bursting awake startled him, the illusion failing to hold the pontiff for long.
Maria Elaris exhaled hard, looking at Aaron with clear confusion coating her face at how he broke out so quickly.
Below, signs of the Multimage also began to wear away, and the false reality started to become apparent, her hands twitching and her eyes moving in a glossy pattern.
Yet, it seemed to be too late for her as the opposing Marshal revealed his pointed cane, reformed in his hand, the weapon held high above his head as he prepared to strike down.
Turning his gaze towards the ground to prevent himself from witnessing another gruesome scene, Aaron thought silently to himself as he awaited the conclusion.
It's over.
Straightening his posture and preparing for Akari to awaken, he suddenly felt a glance turn over his form, the eyes of the divine tearing through him.
The God of Illusions had noticed a child immune to its interference, an oddity that shouldn't be in its way, and it was curious about what this problem could be.
Aaron's eyes widened in horror as he realized what was about to happen, his own mind going blank, and a force as strong as a god entering his main consciousness.
Time seemed to freeze as a void overtook reality, the very same gaze that had just looked over the blond boy now shooting away in absolute horror, and its memories of such a thing disappeared in a flash.
Then, as if it had never happened, time resumed, the turquoise-eyed boy dizzy and confused.
"W-what happened?"
Gazing over at Maria, he noticed a pained look on her face, her hand rubbing her own temples like she had a headache.
Her expression was pale, and her eyes dull as if she had just woken up from a nightmare, her face dripping in a cold sweat.
Reaching into his pocket quickly and grabbing a cloth, he handed it to the woman, his words coming out in a stutter.
"Here. Take my handkerchief."
The woman nodded, taking the white rag and wiping her pale skin as she gazed downward at the ensuing battle.
The ability used by the Star-Drowned Marshal that had allowed the God of Illusions a brief glance at Aaron Grimstall had vanished, the only thing remaining in the arena other than the Multimage being that of the mangled form of Eren Astelion.
Furrowing his brow in confusion, the blond boy tried to recount what strike or spell had left the man in such a condition; however, nothing came to mind.
"W-what happened to him?"
He waited for either Akari, the Angel, or even the announcer to speak, yet all of them seemed silent.
『It seems that the God of Illusions has noticed an anomaly…』