Chapter 845: A Fragment of the End
Once Arthur returned to Chazat, a single thought was enough to open an entrance into the training pocket universe that Barda and the Levites had created, the place where he’d spent most of the past 40+ years.
Entering it, he made his way directly toward the massive planetoid that served as the primary residence of the Levites.
He had his own residence there as well, since much of his combat training took place on that planetoid, and with Elaine still asleep in his arms in a princess carry, he walked calmly into the shared compound where their houses were.
The buildings themselves were modest in scale, not oversized or ostentatious, but built like ordinary houses suited for ordinary-sized humanoids.
Over the course of their long lives, the Levites’ preferences had transitioned from simplicity to extravagance and eccentricity, only to circle back to simplicity.
The one exception was Wyndella, who enjoyed spawning planet-sized houses in her spare time, blending architectural designs from countless galaxies.
Arthur didn’t mind the simplicity either, so his own residence was kept minimalist in its design.
Just as he was about to step inside, Gervod emerged from his greenhouse carrying a water tank, his green eyes widening in surprise at the sight of the unconscious child in Arthur’s arms.
After a moment of silence, the man finally spoke.
"When did you become a father?"
"The fuck?!"
Arthur spun toward him with an incredulous look, completely baffled at how in the hell Gervod had jumped to that conclusion.
Turning while holding Elaine in the doorway nearly had him knocking her head against the frame, but he stopped himself just in time to avoid giving her a concussion and chose to set her down first before clearing up the misunderstanding.
Gervod followed him inside, and as Arthur laid Elaine gently on the bed, he answered.
"I’ve been stuck with you guys for decades. I don’t even have time to meet women, much less father a kid."
His back was to Gervod as he spoke, and the Verdant Dragon blinked in confusion, about to point out what seemed obvious to him, when Celestia manifested her humanoid form behind Arthur and lifted a finger to her lips.
"..."
Gervod narrowed his eyes at the gesture, but he didn’t get to comment on it as Arthur turned around and asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Why would you think she’s mine anyway?"
For a moment, Gervod considered saying the first thought that came to him, but he chose otherwise and instead pointed toward the bloodstains on Elaine’s clothes.
"Silver blood like yours. Similar Anti-Divinity energy signature..."
He didn’t get to finish before Arthur cut in.
"The silver blood is probably an Ancient-Breed godslayer trait. The energy signature’s because I’m using my own energy to awaken her dormant death powers."
Arthur then paused, turning around as his gaze fell on the sackcloth Elaine was still wearing, his expression darkening slightly as he added.
"She needs a change of clothes, but I’m not exactly into undressing teenage girls, so I’ll leave that to you, Celestia."
He turned toward Celestia mid-speech, and after she nodded, he turned back and started to leave the room.
Celestia’s eyes shifted to Elaine in silence, a complicated expression crossing her face, and at that moment, Arthur stopped at the door and looked back at her.
"Celestia."
[Yes, Master,] she answered, turning to meet Arthur’s deadpan gaze.
"Don’t do anything silly."
With those words, Arthur closed the door and walked off with Gervod, leaving Celestia and the sleeping Elaine behind.
As soon as Arthur left the building, cosmic energy rapidly gathered on the chair beside the bed, shaping itself into Lostvayne’s female humanoid form, who sat with legs crossed, her gaze fixed on Celestia.
[Is it really her?]
[Without a doubt.]
Celestia’s reply was instantaneous, her tone carrying no trace of doubt.
She recalled the second line of the Cosmic SOS Arthur had received fifteen years ago, her frown deepening.
A fragment of the end slips through unseen.
Now lying before her eyes was that ’fragment of the end’ that had ’slipped through unseen’.
[This is only a soul fragment. The real thing would’ve had her Number on the back of her hand.]
Celestia’s words made Lostvayne’s gaze drop to the back of Celestia’s right palm, where a blurred-out crest lingered, and then Lostvayne muttered.
[It’s been four decades since you regained your memories, and you still haven’t told Master about the Numbers.]
[Master hasn’t asked,] Celestia shot back.
[And what if he’s waiting for you to tell him of your own accord?]
At Lostvayne’s question, Celestia’s gaze finally lifted from the unconscious Elaine, snapping toward Lostvayne as she answered with an irritated tone.
[And how exactly do you expect me to bring it up? ’Hey, Master, want to know about your former 13 Trusted Generals who all died horrible deaths, had their souls shattered into pieces, and were turned into cosmic dust?’?!]
Her expression contorted toward the end, and feeling her agitated emotions spilling toward Arthur through her connection with him, she took a deep breath to calm herself.
Returning her gaze to Elaine, she muttered with barely hidden distaste.
[To think it was this Failed Experiment of all people...]
[You always called her that,] Lostvayne said. [Why?]
[Because that’s what she is.]
Celestia’s response showed clearly she didn’t like Elaine’s presence, but Lostvayne couldn’t sense any hatred behind her words.
’Then why?’
Lostvayne didn’t know the history between them and was deeply curious about it, but since Celestia clearly wasn’t willing to share, she gave up on pressing the matter and turned her attention back to the sleeping Elaine.
Celestia, on the other hand, stepped into the closet for a moment, selecting one of her less favoured outfits before returning to carry out Arthur’s order and change Elaine’s clothes.
◇ ◇ ◇
While Celestia was deciding which terrible outfit combinations to force on Elaine, Arthur and Gervod were talking as they left the building.
"Barda said you went to scout the rift Wyndella found, so how did that end with your Destruction Aspect becoming several times stronger?"
"Oh, I ran into some Demonic Dragon Candidate on the way, and since he attacked me first, I killed him and absorbed his Aspect. Turns out he’d already absorbed at least three other Aspects to boost his own."
Hearing this, Gervod silently scanned him, then asked, "Oh, so you only took the Cosmic Energy and not the Authority."
Arthur silently nodded, and Gervod rubbed his chin before saying, "If you know what’s good for you, get that excess power under control before Raikis sees you, or it’s straight back to training for you."
Gervod’s warning made Arthur freeze on the spot, his face draining of colour as memories resurfaced of being chased across several planets by a fifty-kilometre-long dragon with a wingspan three times that, spewing destructive breath attacks.
Immediately, he began forcefully compressing the energy of his Aspect, and it was in this state that Barda teleported in to meet him.
"What’s he doing?" Barda asked Gervod, who replied instantly. "Trying to avoid Raikis’ survival run."
"Oh, I see..."
Barda nodded in understanding, and at that, Arthur looked up and asked in a whisper.
"Where is he?"
’He’, of course, referred to Raikis, and Barda chuckled at Arthur’s obvious unease as he answered.
"He’s still outside the universe."
The words made Arthur exhale in relief, while the two Levites only shook their heads at his reaction.
’Raikis is still gonna catch him, isn’t he?’
’Yeah, he’s toast.’
Gervod and Barda confirmed Arthur’s ’doom’ telepathically, and just as they did, multiple cosmic gates opened, from which the rest of the Levites, apart from Raikis, stepped out.
With them was Aleksas, accompanied by an unfamiliar face that Arthur instantly noticed, his eyebrow lifting in question.
She was a young woman with long crimson hair that gradually shifted into a deep purple toward the tips that brushed against her calves, a length that made Arthur immediately think she and Berlal would get along perfectly.
Straight fringes framed her pretty face, and a pair of short, purple-gemmed earrings caught the light, while a small beauty mark beneath her left eye gave her features a distinctive charm.
She stood just an inch or two taller than Arthur, dressed in a black knee-length gown with an asymmetrical neckline and red embroidery tracing the hem.
"Who’s our new addition?" Arthur asked.
