★250
ALNATH'S POV
Aside from the dull throne and the one set at the very edge of the circular table of golden light, each seat gave off its own presence, subtle but distinct. Behind them stretched a garden unlike anything I had seen before, its beauty quiet yet overwhelming, every detail too perfect to belong anywhere real.
I walked towards the dull seat and took my place beside a woman dressed in white. The fabric flowed down her form, mirroring the long pair of white wings resting behind her. She wore no shoes, though none of us needed them.
"You seem to already be familiar with your spot."
She said, her eyes still closed, her voice calm and measured.
"Rough analysis…"
I began, my words trailing as I considered how to explain it.
Before I could finish, someone appeared directly in front of me. The sudden movement cut me off.
Her face was inches from mine. Red eyes locked onto me, sharp and unblinking, studying me as though I were something to be taken apart and understood. I didn't move, but the intensity of her gaze lingered, pressing against me in a way that was difficult to ignore.
Unfazed, I continued to stare, but as soon as I blinked, she was gone and seated next to the golden chair on the right, facing away from me as if nothing had happened.
Dressed in a majestic white and gold outfit. Before her long brown ponytail that hung down her spine, she wore a golden spike clip and long golden earrings. On her forehead, a golden star with four sides was engraved.
'The gap between myself and the table is insignificantly small yet she stood still...'
Lost in my thoughts, I barely registered the shift in the room until her voice reached me.
"Omni Arumsis, still yet to occupy a Domain?"
The woman in white asked, her tone calm but carrying a quiet insistence.
"Omni Elara, respect my decision and do not bother me," the man beside me replied without opening his eyes.
I glanced at him properly then. Whether man or angelic creature, it was hard to tell. His white haori, bound loosely with a golden rope, covered only his lower arms and waist, leaving much of him bare.
Black markings spread across his left arm, stretching from shoulder to wrist, sharp against his skin. His long hair fell neatly down his back, tinted a soft gold that matched the broad wing resting behind him.
"Monitoring the Pond is simply natural for us."
Lady Elara said, as though the matter were obvious. There was a faint persistence in her voice, a deliberate attempt to draw him into the conversation.
But he gave no reply. It was clear she wanted a response from him, anything at all, but he remained unmoved, shutting her out without effort. I watched for a moment longer before losing interest, letting her continue on her own.
She kept at it, teasing him with small, pointed remarks, but he paid her no mind. Her voice carried on until a sudden crack split the air. Lightning struck the floor with a heavy thud, bright and violent, yet the surface beneath us held firm without so much as a fracture.
That's no ordinary lightning. That's Azure… he's here.
From the fading light, a figure stepped forward. He wore a pale blue emperor's garment traced with fine golden patterns, the fabric resting neatly against him. His hair was short, his posture composed, but it was his eyes that held attention—bright, almost glowing, unmistakably azure. The Omni of Voltara.
It made sense. Azyrion was shared, divided between Morke Helvede and Adhara's Voltara, a rare case where two Stars maintained Order within a single Domain.
He moved with unhurried steps before taking his place beside the golden chair to the left, settling in without a word.
I took a moment to look around properly. Each of them sat upon a throne of a different hue, subtle distinctions that carried meaning I could only begin to grasp.
Lady Elara's seat was white, clean and unblemished. The red-eyed woman's throne held the same base, though it shone with a deeper trace of gold. Lord Arumsis sat upon a darker shade, gold edged with something heavier. Sabaki's was unmistakably azure, steady and bright.
And then there was the empty golden seat.
It didn't need to be said who it belonged to. Lord Acamar.
"Sabaki, do not kill us before Omni First arrives."
The red-eyed Nova said, her tone light, almost playful, as she looked towards him. There was a firmness in her voice that rivalled even Lord Acamar's.
"I am not in the mood today, Omni Belenos."
Came the cold reply from the Omni of Voltara.
'It's a he?'
The thought slipped through me before I could stop it, and I instinctively drew back. Despite the weight of his presence, Belenos remained composed, his expression barely shifting.
"I would rather be addressed by my title than reduced to something as trivial as gender."
He said, his voice even, yet edged with quiet authority.
A faint light gathered around him, sharp and controlled.
"My name is Adhara, not Sabaki."
The pressure in the room deepened at once. I held myself still, forcing my body not to react, though every instinct urged me otherwise. It felt as though the space itself might collapse under the strain.
Then...
"Order."
The single word settled over everything.
The tension vanished as quickly as it had risen, replaced by a calm that froze us just as effectively. A soft golden light spread through the hall, and with it, he appeared.
It was the Golden One, Lord Acamar.
He looked much the same as before, though not as I had known him as a student. His form seemed smaller now, more refined, his presence no less overwhelming. He wore a pure white haori edged with gold, a dark blue cloth wrapped neatly around his waist and secured with a golden rope.
He took his seat, the lingering pressure fading as he did, his golden eyes steady, filled with something far beyond simple authority.
Silence settled over the hall until he spoke again, his voice calm, almost casual.
"Take a seat, will you?"
The moment he spoke, I found myself standing. I hadn't moved on my own, yet there I was, upright among them. Even though I had already been seated, something about his presence made it impossible to ignore the shift.
Without questioning it, I followed the instruction and sat back down.
The dull throne beneath me stirred to life, a faint glow rising from its surface and spreading through the dimness. It wasn't bright, yet it stood out enough to draw every gaze in the room. I felt their attention settle on me all at once, heavy and deliberate.
"Eternities."
He said, his voice carrying with ease.
"let us welcome Alnath."
(Dark Nebulas = Abyss, Supernovas = Eternities)
"Alnath, is it?"
Belenos asked, his gaze settling on me with quiet interest.
"Achernar left us rather early."
Elara added, her red eyes fixed on mine, a faint amusement lingering in her tone.
"Lord Achernar is.."
"Diavolos,"
Adhara cut in, his voice cold enough to halt me mid-sentence.
"Diavolos is now a Dark Nebula. You failed once. Can you handle it next time?"
"It?"
The word slipped out before I could stop it. The way he said it struck something in me, irritation rising despite everything I already carried.
"It is a he, Lord Adhara."
I straightened, meeting his gaze without backing down.
"A Void Dragon is a Void Dragon. A Dark Star is a Dark Star. Nothing changes."
He replied, looking away as though the distinction meant nothing.
"As Sabaki, the God of Judgement, I will hunt him down the next time he enters this Pond."
He continued, his tone steady, assured.
I rose before I realised it, my aura slipping free, dark and heavy as it gathered around me. Necrotic Grasp bled into it, the presence of death coiling through the air.
"I won't allow that."
I said, my voice low but firm.
"My prey is mine. Focus on your own affairs."
Though I could not see them directly, I could feel the others watching, their attention sharpening. There was a shift in the room, surprise, perhaps even approval, from those observing.
"Calm down, Alnath."
The Golden One's voice cut through everything.
Before I could react, I found myself seated again. Only then did I notice the faint damage across the table before me, cracks spreading where my aura had lashed out without restraint.
"Unless otherwise instructed, no Omni may act outside of their Domain. Keep that in mind, Sabaki, because I will not take it lightly if you disregard it."
Adhara remained silent, his gaze fixed on the table. He is clearly irritated, but he is forced to comply.
"Young Alnath, are you confident you can deal with him?" Elara asked, her gaze fixed deep within me, as though searching for something I hadn't yet found myself.
I parted my lips to answer, but Lord Acamar spoke first.
"He is not yet, but with time, he will."
There was no doubt in his voice. I gave a small nod, accepting it. If anyone is going to kill Achernar, it's going to be me.
"Is that all there is to this meeting?"
The Deity of the Sun asked, turning her attention to Acamar.
"Introduce yourself."
He said instead, ignoring her impatience.
I rose to my feet.
"Alnath, the Cursed Lord, ruler of Morke Helvede."
"Straightforward. That's good."
Arumsis said, a faint curve to his lips.
"As long as we remain together, you must obtain a Domain."
Elara added, returning to her earlier point.
"The Goddess is right."
Acamar continued.
"Since Alnath and the others already control one-sixth of the Pond, it would be wise for you to claim a Domain from what remains."
Belenos stepped forward before Arumsis could respond.
"I would gladly take your portion, if you wish, Omni Arumsis."
She said, smiling lightly.
"I forbid that, Deity of the Sun."
The Golden One's voice cut in sharply.
"Solaria is already the largest Domain, and you still wish to expand it?"
Arumsis exhaled quietly, clearly pressed into answering. "Fine. I will take a Domain, but I have no interest in ruling over others."
"That is your problem."
Belenos replied, already rising to her feet and turning away.
"I take the first leave, remember?"
Acamar said.
For a brief moment, she froze in place, held by his authority, before breaking free with a slight shift.
"I believe that concludes everything… once again, Alnath, welcome to the Omni Tier."
With that, he dissolved into particles of golden light, vanishing completely. Adhara followed soon after.
His departure struck like lightning, sudden and sharp, yet something faltered. He did not vanish cleanly. Instead, his form stalled, as though space itself resisted him. The shift drew attention from everyone present, including him.
"I'll take the second leave, runt."
Belenos said with a laugh as she straightened.
I caught the faint tightening along Adhara's temple just before he summoned a long, slender blade of azure lightning. The light in his eyes dimmed, replaced by that same cold glow he carried into battle.
Belenos only shook her head, closing her eyes as if bored. When Adhara moved, everything seemed to slow, his strike precise and fast.
"The slowest one should know their place."
She said with a smirk.
She vanished an instant before the blade passed through where she had stood, her form breaking into particles that scattered harmlessly.
The shockwave that followed rose sharply, only to be redirected upward by Elara, who now glared at Adhara, her eyes no longer red but a clear, disapproving white.
He said nothing. His form flickered once, twice, then vanished.
Arumsis was already gone.
That left only the two of us, the space settling back into silence as the brief clash faded, though the tension it left behind still lingered in the air.
"To look Sabaki in the eye and still push back… that was brave. I would be lying if I said none of us were surprised."
Elara said.
"Is he really that strong?"
I asked.
"Not entirely, but he is strong."
She replied.
"Even against the odds, he can outlast most of us when facing Lord Acamar. And he possesses two Supreme Arts… something even Lord First does not have."
"B.."
She cut me off before I could finish.
"Belenos stands at the top of the O-Class. Her laziness may seem like a flaw, but do not mistake it for weakness."
She lifted her gaze, gesturing upward. At first, I saw nothing. Then, as I focused, the white void revealed itself. It stretched endlessly, swallowing everything in sight. At its centre burned a light so bright it felt as though it was looking back at me.
The moment my eyes locked onto it, my body trembled. Something within me stirred, uneasy and exposed. Before it could go further, a red rose came into view, pressed gently against my line of sight, blocking it.
"W… what…"
I muttered, my voice unsteady as I tried to regain myself.
"The curse placed on you is being purified."
She said, placing the rose by my ear as though it belonged there.
Her words pulled me back to Achernar's voice, to what he had said, that I was no different from a Dark Star. For a brief moment, something close to relief surfaced.
"Purified… does that mean I.."
She shook her head.
"It does more than purify. It consumes you as well. Lys Radiance does not simply cleanse; it erodes. Be careful not to draw her attention."
With that, she turned and left, her presence fading from the hall, leaving me alone with the lingering weight of her warning.
To be continued...