The Heavenly Star Palace…
It is a realm confined within a sphere fewer than 11 kilometers in diameter, with the upper half being the sky and the lower half being the earth.
The climate is always temperate, and the earth remains free of pollution and bears fields of flowers and fruits.
It's home to a massive, beautiful white castle, which Veldanava resided in.
It's a world isolated from all other universes yet adjacent to them at the same time.
The only ways to get there are to have a special key that allows for interdimensional travel to and from it at will or to access it through the Heaven Tower guarded by Dagruel.
It includes a beautiful chalk castle, the birthplace of the Star King Dragon Veldanava.
The place of beginnings was said to have existed before the creation of all worlds.
It was a folklore that could only be remembered in mythology.
The flowers did not wither, the fruits did not rot, the water was clean, and the earth was moist.
Therefore, there were always fields of flowers in full bloom, and the sparse trees bore sweet and fragrant heavenly fruits.
It was truly a realm of myths.
In this world where time seemed to have stopped, there was no sense of change.
In this same world, a figure sat casually on a chair, resting and waiting in the garden in a gazebo.
From there, they could see the whole castle, and on the other side, the huge gate at the edge of the world.
There was no sign of anyone coming out of the castle.
But with the gates closed, it seemed clear that escape from this world was impossible.
This figure was one of the absolutes in the hierarchy of power.
One of the heavenly leaders of the overworld, the embodiment of God's many authorities.
This was the primordial angel, Lunax.
As she sat on the chair provided to her by her subordinate, she began to think of the events that took place in the cardinal world.
Sariel hasn't returned for years, and the world is slowly burning in Feldway's wrath.
The angels have attacked, and the once peaceful world is now in ruins.
This was the deep thought that ran through her mind.
She received a call to meet up in the heavens. This call was from none other than Feldway.
He had dealt with Sariel and began to cause havoc.
After Sariel's sudden disappearance, the world began to destabilize.
The monsters inhibiting the forest of Jura began to invade the human territories, causing widespread destruction that would take years to heal from.
The monsters no longer felt his dominion over the land, so they began to invade each other's territories.
Some left the forest to gain more grounds, whilst others preferred to simply reek anarchy for the fun of it.
It didn't end there; the unsuspecting group of insectars began to expand their territories.
This took place not only in the forest of Jura but also in the human nations.
They would invade and slaughter the humans mercilessly to acquire more grounds to increase their numbers.
It wasn't without planning, though.
They had carefully pulled it off. They began with the military base, aiming to reduce the odds of retaliation before targeting the nation's royal capitals.
It was a grand event.
They were, however, repelled by the efforts of a brave hero going by the name Chronoa.
She had managed to prevent them from taking over the lands.
However, the damage had already been done.
This act alone severely reduced the military power of several nations that suffered such losses.
And by the time they knew it, the second Tenma war took place.
The grand destruction ensued, wiping out several smaller nations from the world map.
Larger nations were also targeted, but they hadn't completely lost, but there were massive losses.
The global population sank deeply, scarring the world with an unrecoverable loss.
The world had fallen so far, and this was only the beginning.
Most of the demons under Sariel-sama were also wiped out, leaving only a few hundreds of tens of thousands behind.
The ones positioned to watch the forest had to neglect their duty to fight back.
But it was still not enough.
Feldway had gone to the underworld to wipe out the majority of Sariel's lineage after his absence, and it was catastrophic.
In order to prevent further invasion, the hell gate formed within the constraints of the forest was destroyed.
It was a good decision.
If they had left the hell gate behind, it could've given the cryptids and insects a chance to invade the central world.
This was another undesirable event that would've further deteriorated the progress of the world.
If not for the interference, Sariel would not even have a lineage to look after again.
Rose, who had heard about the massacre, went to intercept the aggressors.
From there, an otherworldly fight was initiated.
Lunax had seen him before, the being known as Michael.
He was the one Rose fought. She wasn't in the best of position at the time, but she had managed to pull through.
With Noir handling Feldway, they made no further progress.
Feldway, seeing that the assault was going nowhere, decided to leave with his friend Michael.
Besides, the damage had already been done, so there were many opportunities in the days ahead.
In the end, it was a very big loss.
She reached this conclusion with a heavy heart.
She was unaware of the happenings in the underworld, and the only way she knew of it now was that she was told.
The monsters that began to rampage around the human settlements were swiftly dealt with by the young promising heroes under Sariel's tutelage.
They had worked tirelessly to manage the destruction, and at the end of the day, they were victorious.
This deed had marked them as heroes renowned around the world.
It looked that way, but their minds were elsewhere.
They were devastated.
They were one of the few having a soul connection with Sariel.
They found pride in this, and they were content to have such a relationship with their lord, so the next thing that happened shattered their hearts.
On an unsuspecting day, the connection was suddenly cut.
This did considerable damage to their hearts (not literally, though).
After the whole event of the world ended, they locked themselves up in the mansion provided to them as if to declare their eternal isolation from the world.
As for the matter of the forest, she herself had taken matters into her own hands. She had to.
Dino and his friends did the same, so why shouldn't she?
What was weird was the fact that Norana hadn't done a thing since the beginning of it all.
She had suddenly desired to return to the Heavenly Star Palace, and she couldn't refuse.
Ever since then, she hadn't returned.
Lunax had a fleeting suspicion, but today's meeting would prove to be the judging factor of this deduction.
The gates to the heavens opened, revealing Feldway's approaching figure.
He wore his usual military attire with white long military boots suited for combat.
He had his usual serious face, but after locking eyes with Lunax, he wore a casual smirk.
Feldway: 「So you came.」
Lunax: 「As if I had a chance.」
Feldway: 「Don't be ridiculous. You never really accepted my offers in the past. What made you change mentality today?」
Lunax: 「Please spare me the flattery.」
I wasn't exactly praising you, though.
Feldway thought with an annoyed expression.
Feldway: 「Well, that aside, I have a reason for requesting your appearance.」
Lunax simply nodded to his statement.
She wasn't really fond of Feldway, but she at least respected him this much.
Feldway: 「I came to ask for your allegiance.」
Lunax knew where this was going, so she decided to put a stop to him as quickly as possible.
She had somewhat guessed this much, so she spoke without hesitation.
Lunax: 「Thank you. But I am not interested in such.」
A short yet meaningful answer. She did not like Feldway's way of leadership, so she flatly refused.
She was one of the few who had the power to refuse Feldway.
Feldway also knew this. He expected as much, so he went straight to the point.
Feldway: 「My plan is to bring back Veldanava-sama since he can't return.」
Lunax: 「Don't speak such nonsense. He can't return? Feldway, you are smart. Don't deny reality.」
Feldway: 「I refuse to believe in an abstract concept like reality. That does not apply to Veldanava-sama.
He is a being beyond mere ideas like reality and the likes.」
Lunax: 「If you know that much, then you should know that he has the power to return "if" he wants to.」
She spoke, placing emphasis on the "if" to allow Feldway to read her meaning.
Feldway: 「Whatever you're implying, I don't like it.」
Lunax: 「You have never liked the hard truths. Feldway, as a fellow colleague, I will tell you this: Don't go too far.」
This statement suggested many possibilities.
She was telling Feldway to be careful, a rare display of her affection towards her teammates.
She was also giving him a warning as if to question his capabilities.
Feldway understood this well. But he was still confused.
He had dealt with Sariel, and Rudra was only beginning his reincarnation.
The only obstacle was Guy, the serious threat that could put an end to their ambitions.
But that was not a problem. Once Rudra was completely out of the way, he wouldn't be a problem anymore.
Besides, their knew ally had proved to be an unrivaled powerhouse.
They had given them the needed information of the whole Angelic and Virtue series skills.
They were now sure of the details.
They also had the scorch dragon on their side. Now, all they needed was Veldora to complete their plan.
This would've been easier of not for the blasted hero who had proceeded to seal the storm dragon.
This act alone had hindered their progress, but it wasn't a big deal.
Once the forest was conquered, the rest would be a breeze.
This was what Feldway thought.
The pieces were slowly coming together, intertwining to form their whole scheme.
Guy would respect the rules of the game, and major decisions would be taken.
After finalizing their plan, they would then strike Guy with all their might.
This would mark their victory.
Lunax's warnings were unnecessary, but he was still confused.
She had always been the one to keep to herself, and most of the times she gave her stern warnings, there were hidden messages behind them.
Feldway knew this, so he inquired.
Feldway: 「Is there anything else bothering you?」
Lunax: 「You say it like that, but you do not care about me the slightest. All you want is the information.」
Feldway: 「Since when did you become a joker? A person as powerful as yourself needing my care? Don't make me cry.」
Lunax: 「Hmm, you hurt my heart. I'm still a delicate young flower, you know?」
Feldway: 「Sariel's rubbing off you, huh?」
Lunax: 「Hmm, figured. Don't worry about the specifics. Just do what you want. You will see it unfold either way.」
She dismissed Feldway with a carefree shrug.
Feldway was silently enraged, but he couldn't do anything dangerous for the meantime.
He knew Lunax's true capabilities, and he knew her tendency to show only half of herself to others.
He was one of the few who knew her true capabilities, and it was disturbing.
She did not possess any Angelic or Virtue series skills, so forceful domination was impossible at the moment.
Even with that, she still had an ultimate skill, so he did not want to take his chances.
Even as he understood her deeply, she was still elusive.
Just like the Sariel he so hated, understood, and misunderstood at the same time.
He just had to deal with it.
Lunax: 「Feldway, your ambition to revive God will lead to many catastrophic events.
One of which will cause many losses on our side.
I may not show it, but I love you all. So please stop while it's still early.」
Lunax said so in a serious tone. She cared for each and every one of them in her own way.
She didn't like the idea of losing any of them, so she gave him her advice.
Lunax: 「I am now with Sariel. I find solace in his warmth and presence.
So don't mess with his belongings again. If you disturb him again, we are going to have serious problems.
Whatever you did to Norana is your business, but I'll be careful if I were you.」
Feldway did not understand her. She spoke as if she was sure that he had returned.
He couldn't deny the possibility, but he had already dismissed it long ago.
He had no way to bring this person down for now, so he let her off for today.
Without another word, Lunax left the Heavenly Star Palace.
He knew that it wouldn't go well, but this meeting had done nothing but sour his tongue.
He had a little hope to get some outsider's insights, but in the end, he got nothing useful.
Surprising as it may be, she already deduced that he had Norana in his hand.
Ever-the-more surprising is the fact that she seemingly didn't care.
He had no clear idea of her personality, and it was frustrating.
Feldway: 「*Sigh* Why must everyone be so unreasonable? Veldanava-sama must surely return. But why does everyone refuse this? Is it not obvious?」
He was genuinely confused. They all wanted Veldanava as much as he did, yet they all rejected the offer to help him.
He did have Michael's and Anarel's support, but that did not make him any less angry with the fact that the people who were supposed to share this feeling more than anyone else refuted him.
He had thought of it deeply but still could not come up with an acceptable answer.
Hence, he solidified his heart. If they were going to refuse him, then he would use force to subjugate them.
This was his decision; he had made a goal and marked it as such.
He was not going to let anyone interfere in his plans.
Sariel, who tried to do so, was dealt with, and everyone else would be dealt with accordingly.
It didn't matter who they were. Not Guy, not Rudra, not Zelanus, and definitely not Sariel.
He would unite this world and use it as bait for Veldanava's return.
Veldanava-sama, enough is enough. Come now, or this world will lose its diversity.
You have ignored us long enough, and now is the time for the great rebellion. Please do well to return.
It was a silent declaration and challenge to the gods.
He had seen enough, and now, his hatred would be the hellfire that would burn the world forever.
◇◇◇
Sariel: 「Wow, everything looks so different. I don't remember the forest being this luscious and fruitful.」
The space-time transfer was thankfully successful, and I was back to the cardinal world.
I had used my almighty body to create another powerful one that would serve as my vessel.
I used a lot of energy from this body to do so, and it worked.
This new surrogate body would be my permanent vessel.
It was heavily fortified, and it was packed with a rich amount of magicules.
The sheer amount was insane, and I was pleased with the result.
I was able to have a feel of my true body for the very first time, and it felt great.
I felt like I could do anything at that moment.
The sheer amount of magicules this body contained was crazy.
I figured a product of Veldanava would be this strong.
The energy quality was immense, and the quantity was no less impressive.
The dragon factor within this body allowed me to use the stardust without much problem.
I would've liked to use this as my vessel, but Reina-san warned me about the risks.
One would be the star dragon factor contained within me.
The amount of power contained in this body was overwhelming, even to me.
Hence, a mere intrinsic skill like 『Existence Concealment』 could not function properly.
If the other true dragons were to sense this dragon factor, they would, without a doubt, rush to my location.
So, as soon as I arrived, the first thing that was done was a body swap.
I was also advised by Reina-san to put in a lot of energy to prevent severe cases like energy depletion and more.
I did so, and the rewards were fruitful.
As always, she is the best girl.
I took in an unnecessary deep breath to familiarize myself with the environment.
My current location is the Jura Forest. But I don't know why everything looks different.
For one, the magic intensity has increased sixfold, making it far denser than the magic intensity in the Ice Continent.
The magicule signature is undoubtedly Veldora's.
It seems as if he instantly released all his reserved aura.
Well, I'll find all that out later, I have to find out about everything that just occurred.
With one of them being the history behind that mysterious individual.
So, Reina-san, can you tell me just who this unknown person is?
「Yes. Do you remember the energy mass that deeply affected your soul in the past?」
Oh? Do you mean that corruption from Iverage? Yes, I do. What's up with that?
「At the time, you were affected by the energy of Ivarage, unaware of the impending doom befallen.」
Hm? What's this now? You've gotten my interest in this. Regale me, please.
「I could not get rid of the soul corroding energy, so I decided to banish it to the Soul Dimension.
It was a very persistent substance. No matter how I tried to get it away from you, it always remained attached to your soul.」
Eh… please don't put it like that, I feel weirded out just by hearing you say that.
「...After attempting several times and failing, I used an opportunity that was granted to me to cast it to the soul dimension.
It wasn't possible to detach it from you, so at the point where you were about to die after naming Veldora, I shattered our heart cores, leading to our death, and Kalisha cast this being to the dimension of your skill before we died.」
Hm? You destroyed my soul? Now that's cold…
I guess Raziel-san must've been so desperate as to sacrifice my soul in order to get the job done.
But the thought of her committing suicide along with blasphemy…
It really scares me how efficient and calculative she could get.
「I'm sorry…」
Nah, I was dying at the time, so there's no need.
Though, do tell me about your doings next time around, you got that?
「Yes」
Good, you can continue. Do not hide any detail.
What was your intention by sending this spirit to my dimension instead of casting it away?
「...At the time, I thought that Sariel-sama's will (soul wavelength) resonating throughout your dimension would eventually affect the energy mass, making it easy to neutralize, but it was not possible, so, I decided to isolate it in the soul world.」
Isolation—like completely? Not storing it, but imprisoning it there?
「Precisely.」
That's right. You did good and all, but why wasn't I informed? I don't want the stupid excuse "But you never asked" and stuff.
I remember asking you how your task was faring. You simply gave me the time for it all to end.
You never told me about the threat this being posed.
「I… simply didn't want to trouble you, Sariel-sama. The task was given to me to handle, and I wanted to see it to completion. Disturbance was never included in the given order.」
You… *Sigh* Reina-san, you know, it hurts to know that you don't trust me.
「W-Wah!?」
I know I behave dumb at times, but I'm not as useless as you think, okay?
「You are not useless in my eyes, Sariel-sama. In fact, I couldn't bring myself to disturb you.」
I know. It's just me being overdramatic. Well, the next time something troubles you, just tell me.
「But–」
If you don't, I'd feel like you don't want me anymore.
「!!!」
Haha. Honestly, this soft side of Reina is pretty easy to manipulate.
She has always had this cute side to her. I just never exploited it as much is all.
「F-Fine. I understand as much. I'll take note of your words.」
Good, now go on; tell me more of this person.
「Yes. It wasn't particularly easy to do so. I used the given opportunity appropriately, and I achieved the desired result.」
How did you do it?
「Is that really necessary?」
Aha! Suspicious! Suspicious!! You did something, didn't you!?
「....」
Yes. You have been caught. You can let up now, you know?
「Hm. During the time of Sariel-sama's battle against Velzard, when time froze, it was able to escape back to Sariel-sama's soul without Raziel being able to stop it.
Seeing as it had escaped again, Raziel decided to seal it using the new skill it learned, 『Ultimate Imprisonment』.」
Hm? She speaks of her former self as if they were a stranger. How cold…
I guess every Manas have this cold side to them. They're really scary.
Remind me never to get ahead of myself and tip off Reina-san.
「I will never do a thing to scare the beloved master.」
Yeah, flirt with me however you want, I'm still wary of your Manas existence.
「Hmph!」
Now, now, continue with your tale. It's getting interesting by every minute.
「Understood. Instead of being affected by Sariel-sama's will in the soul world, it developed its own unique personality using your will.
It gained a bit of Sariel-sama's personality, along with its own unique individuality.
After being attacked, Kalisha offered to freeze Raziel's skill core to prevent the domination from taking effect.
This, however, prevented Raziel from keeping watch over the seal, and as a result, it broke free, and that was when this entity struck.
After usurping some of Sariel-sama's skills, it decided to get rid of Raziel, wanting no obstacle in their plan.
Kalisha managed to get rid of this entity using the transcendent ability『Dimension Leap』.
But in that instance, this entity managed to overwrite the information of the attack by usingthe usurped skills, and instead of it being transported to Sariel's Dimension, it changed its location back to the cardinal world.」
Wow. That's one intense history of psychological warfare there.
This must have been a turning point in its spiritual development.
After battling spiritually for so long, it must've developed a powerful, rich ego. It's disturbing.
Feldway must've found out by now that this entity was related to me all along.
I'm sure with his abilities, he'd want to use it for his own good.
It agreed to work with Feldway for its own merit but refused to give off any major secret of mine to Feldway.
That must've been why he couldn't figure out how to deal with me accordingly.
I don't know how things will be from now on, but I can at least be safe for now.
I now understand that Kalisha has nothing bad to do with this.
But it seemed as if she purposely made the situation more aggravating.
Kalisha: 「....」
But that doesn't matter now. I need to get my bearings right as of now.
And I'll start with receiving the information granted to me by Reina-san.
I bet a lot of crazy events rook place after my untimely departure.
Now, I'm ready to face them all.
—————————————————————————————————
「Note: Well, that's it for today's work. I'm really caught up in some Tensura fanfics, and I barely find time to continue my work. I didn't really plan this chapter well, so it may be lacking a bit in quality.
I know you'll pull through somehow, so please ignore this. Well, I don't know about adding the new villain character, but I hope my definition of how it came into existence makes a little sense.
I realized that Sariel would easily bulldoze most of the villains in tensura, so I decided to add one headache to care for. I hope I manage to make a good character out of this new individual.
Well, thanks for reading my work. If you enjoyed today's sequel, please hit that vote button to show your support. Do not forget to do so. See ya!」
Word Count: 「4125」