Chapter 46: Task Complete - Setting Terms and Conditions
[Evolution Task: Complete.]
[The Divine Domain will now undergo evolve. Time Limit: Instant]
The moment war was declared, Akasha found himself back in the Citadel, bombarded by status notifications and wearing a face full of mixed emotions.
With everything he had just uncovered, he knew he needed a moment to sort through his thoughts.
Ignoring the constant stream of system alerts, he drew in a deep breath, closed his eyes, and let the warm golden light of the great hall wash over him as he tried to make sense of the overwhelming tide of information swirling in his mind.
"Now... if I’m not mistaken, all of Pantheos must be like this," he muttered, as it didn’t make sense for only the world of Kalpa to be this way.
No... to be exact.
It was the entire Orin Star System, which held not just Kalpa but five other worlds, that was divided into two parts.
And if that was the case that would only bring about more questions than answers.
’But... that makes me wonder, are all Star Systems ruled by two Pantheons?’
His thoughts turned slowly, each one heavier than the last, pressing against his skull like an unseen weight.
’Then there’s the star system itself and the five other worlds...’
In that moment, he couldn’t help but feel a rush of excitement at the thought of exploring the Star System, visiting new places, and experiencing things he had never imagined.
The possibilities seemed endless.
Yet, beneath that thrill lingered an unease—this new world, that he decided to place his divine barrier.... might be shrouded in a far greater mystery than anyone truly realized.
Now that he knew the Ocean served as portals to the Underside, and that the Topside was somehow inhabited by beings from the Underside, he was certain there was something far more troubling at play.
After all, it made no sense for two clans—clearly at odds or bound by only the most fragile of truces—to suddenly allow their peoples to intermingle without reason.
Akasha figured there was something deeper, and perhaps far more dangerous, was unfolding.
He could still feel the raw intensity of the vision burning behind his eyelids — the cataclysmic battles between Sun Kami and the Dead Kami, the desperate debates in that celestial war council, and the final, world-shattering declaration from Amaterasu herself.
’Just what the hell happened back then...?’ He thought deeply to himself. ’And what’s truly going on now?’
Though as much as he tried to bring his thoughts to a halt.... the questions continued to swirl relentlessly.
If the balance had been broken so long ago, why did the Topside still exist in relative peace?
And what did this mean for Kalpa itself — for Dreamer’s Peak and for everything else he planned for the future?
He exhaled slowly, the warm golden flames of the throne flickering around him as the sound of footsteps approached.
A mix of awe, deep curiosity, and quiet determination settled across his face.
The ruins had given him far more than he had expected — and the implications were only beginning to sink in, heavy and full of dangerous possibility.
For the first time since arriving in this world, Akasha felt like he was standing at the edge of something truly enormous.
It wasn’t really about the War... or even Kalpa itself.
The real issue was that he now found himself in a world he barely understood.
Of course, that was partly his own doing—ten years spent in seclusion had left him in the dark from everything beyond Dream Land.
Even so, he was almost certain the information he’d just uncovered was something the vast majority of Kalpa knew nothing about.
And that... well, in more ways than one, only made things more interesting.
Slowly, he opened his eyes, the golden glow of the hall catching in his blood-red gaze as the sound of approaching footsteps reached his ears.
Luna and Yume were walking toward him, both wearing similar expressions of shock and awe.
Yume floated her dream-like purple hair drifting gently, her filled with quiet amazement.
"The Great War of Severance..."
Akasha offered her a warm, wry smile, tilting his head slightly. By her words, it was clear her time wasn’t wasted.
"Pretty interesting stuff, isn’t it?"
"Indeed, Master..."
In that moment, he didn’t even need to ask what they had discovered; the instant he returned to the hall, he was filled in on everything.
It all matched up almost perfectly with what he already knew.
The only difference was that all knowledge of these events had been wiped from the annals of the Orin Star System.
There was no trace of any Pantheon ever having ruled over the system, nor any record that a war had ever taken place.
Slowly, Akasha rose from the throne.
The moment he stood, the flames around the seat dimmed slightly, as if acknowledging his departure.
"Well, my love... This... makes everything much more complex. And far more urgent," she said, stopping a few steps away.
"If you truly intend to claim the Star System as your own, then we can no longer afford to move at a comfortable pace."
Luna spoke with genuine excitement about what all this information could lead to.
Akasha glanced at her, then at Yume, and gave a slow nod.
Together, the three began making their way toward the exit of the grand hall. He stayed quiet, his thoughts already racing ahead.
’If the Academies of Kalpa are competing to join a much larger Academic Pantheon... ’he thought,
’Then each of the five other worlds in the Orin Star System must be in the same situation.’
With that thought a small, sharp smile formed on his lips as they walked.
He had always known the 90-year deadline was important — But now, after everything he had learned in these ruins, the deadline suddenly felt much closer.
And like Luna said, he needed to move faster.....
Much faster.
Akasha wanted to be more than ready when those ninety years were up—not just strong enough to survive what was coming, but strong enough to take control of it.
The three of them stepped out of the grand hall and into the long corridor leading out of the Dawn Citadel. The air outside was cooler, carrying the faint scent of ancient stone and lingering starlight.
Akasha’s crimson eyes shone with quiet determination as he spoke.
"Well, we’re picking up the pace," he said plainly. "From this moment on, everything will start to branch onto the path... leading to Dreamer’s Peak."
-----
After a short, swift flight, the trio landed near the Main Peak of the Academy of Veils. Akasha, Luna, and Yume walked through the grand entrance, their footsteps echoing softly against the polished stone floors
As they approached the meeting hall, voices could already be heard from within — overlapping, tense, and filled with unease.
"...We don’t even know what he’s going to demand."
"What if he wants the ruins? Or something worse?"
"Can we even trust someone like that? He appeared out of nowhere and wiped out the Nova Dragons in a single day."
"Maybe he’s plotting something bigger. Using us as mere pawns!"
As soon as Akasha stepped inside, the chatter carried on without missing a beat, no one noticing he had arrived.
Cutting through the din, Liliana’s voice rang out, steady yet edged with resolve.
"Tsk... we should just sign whatever the hell he’s asking for."
Harlan’s eyes narrowed as he studied her, catching every subtle shift in her expression.
He might have agreed with her words, but ever since Akasha arrived, she’d been acting differently.
"Liliana... are you okay?"
She met his eyes and smiled — a soft, almost serene smile that didn’t quite reach the usual bored look she wore.
"Harlan, I’m fine," she said quietly. "More than fine, actually."
By then, Akasha had already taken a seat at the long table, his presence still masked.
The Dreamer’s Mask rested over his face, hiding his blood-stained features.
The mask itself was streaked with dried dragon blood, just like his crimson-white hair.
He reached up and calmly removed the mask.
The moment his face was revealed — bloodied and calm... the entire room fell into a deathly silence.
BANGGG!!!
Marcus Kane slammed his fist onto the table with a resounding bang, sending several documents scattering into the air.
"This is exactly what I’m talking about!" he growled, his wolf-like ears twitching in barely contained agitation.
"The bastard is far too damn mysterious." He halted for a moment, his gaze narrowing as he pointed a finger toward Akasha.
"Look at him—covered in blood—who on earth knows what he’s plotting? He appears out of nowhere, singlehandedly halts an entire invasion, and now he sits there like it’s just another ordinary day!
And don’t even get me started on those cursed apples he handed to Lilliana. He’s trying to pull one over on us with that shit too!"
The tension in the room thickened instantly.
Several Peak Masters shifted in their seats, some gripping the arms of their chairs while others stared at Akasha with open suspicion and wariness.
Akasha leaned back in his chair, a faint, unreadable smile playing on his blood-stained lips as his gaze swept around the table.
"Well," he said casually, "Headmaster, I trust you’re not thinking of going back on your word."
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