At that moment, Anos, drifting in the cosmic silence while sitting on his throne, chuckled softly. "Such an unexpected innocent spirit," Then his face broke into a knowing smirk. "But Elara, should you ever wish to explore the 'art of creation', I'd be more than willing to assist in your... practice."
"AHHHHHHH—!" As Elara screamed in a mix of embarrassment and indignation, a sudden change rippled through the fabric of space around her. A vibrant green light aura surrounded her head, pulsating with an otherworldly energy.
"..."
Anos watched as the aura took hold, his crimson eyes narrowing in curiosity. The green light seemed to exert a calming influence, diffusing Elara's frenzied mind and bringing a serene tranquility to her demeanor. Her eyes, once wide with frustration, narrowed with a newfound focus as she directed her cold gaze squarely at Anos.
As the green light aura enveloped Elara and her gaze turned icy, Anos's amusement shifted to a frown. Despite the tranquility that seemed to emanate from her, he recognized the potential danger inherent in manipulating emotions with magic, especially for inexperienced living beings as powerful as Elara.
His smirk faded, replaced by a grimace as he spoke with a note of warning in his voice. "...Empress Elara," he began, his tone serious, "while the artificial manipulation of fundamental emotions can be a powerful tool, it is a double-edged sword. It is still too early for you to delve into such practices."
Elara's expression changed slightly, a flicker of confusion crossing her features.
Anos continued, his voice carrying the weight of experience. "Interfering with emotions through magic is dangerous, especially when one does not have a firm grasp of the soul and the source. It can lead to unforeseen consequences, consequences that could even leave you stripped of your own source's emotions with no way to regain them unless you receive extensive external help."
Elara's eyes blinked momentarily, her expression deadpan as she contemplated how to convey the concept to the oblivious demon. It was a matter of explaining that what he witnessed was not an act of her own will, but rather an inherent ability known as Emotional Suppression, a passive skill managed automatically by the system itself, not her own volition.
Elara shrugged her shoulders, not willing to delve into sensitive explanations with this man who could potentially exploit her secrets. It was clear to her that he wouldn't understand even if she explained, and she didn't feel the need to justify herself to him either. Instead, she maintained her calm facade, letting the green light aura dissipate as she turned her attention elsewhere, silently dismissing the topic from her mind. With a subtle shift in posture, she conveyed her readiness to move on from the conversation.
"Mind your own business." Elara retorted curtly, her voice laced with a hint of annoyance and with a dismissive wave of her hand, she signaled the end of their discussion, her focus returning to the strange demon sitting casually on the throne before her.
Anos raised an eyebrow at her sharp response, his smirk fading into a neutral expression.
"Very well," he replied, his tone measured and calm. "But remember, Elara, power without understanding is a path to ruin—-"
"Enough! Blah blah this, blah blah that. I'm sick of your nagging. Are you gonna fight seriously or not?" Elara interrupted him, snorting in frustration as she pointed her glowing cosmic sword at Anos.
"..."
"!"
Anos's face suddenly turned emotionless, and Elara felt a chill down her spine. His eyes bore into hers with a cold intensity that froze her in place.
"Your question holds no meaning," Anos declared, his voice cold and devoid of emotion. "You are not worthy to face me in battle."
To demonstrate his point, he produced a small spike of black energy between his fingers. With a casual flick, he sent it hurtling toward Elara.
"Hmph!"
Seeing the tiny arrow, Elara's pride was hurt. She thought he was looking down on her, and with a dismissive smirk, she tried to casually deflect it with her sword. But as the tiny arrow made contact, her cosmic terrifying sword was punctured like paper. The arrow then easily whizzed past her head, leaving a thin line of blood across her cheek.
"H…uh…?"
Anos observed the thin line of blood on Elara's cheek, his expression exceedingly stoic. He then silently undid his transformation, his demonic features melting away as he returned to his normal form. Rising from his throne, he fixed his gaze on the pale Elara, who was still reeling from the display of his true power.
"Playtime is over," Anos declared, his voice resonating with finality. "I will no longer accommodate your whims."
Elara's eyes widened, a mix of fear and defiance flashing across her pale face. She tightened her grip on the hilt of her punctured sword, her pride refusing to back down despite the overwhelming display of power.
Anos took a step forward, his presence overbearing. "Understand this, Elara," he continued, his tone sharp. "Power is not a toy. It is a responsibility. And until you grasp that, you are unworthy to even think of challenging me."
Elara's bravado wavered, but she held her ground. "Y-You're just a monster! A mere experience points, how dare you…!" she insisted, her voice trembling slightly but laced with determination.
Anos shook his head, a hint of disappointment in his eyes. "Proving yourself isn't about reckless challenges," he said. "It's about understanding the weight of your actions. Until then, you are nothing but a child playing with fire."
With that, he turned away, his back to Elara, signaling the end of their confrontation.
"Wha–! Wait!! Hey! STOP! I'm not even done yet! Don't you fucking dare—!"
Anos ignored her outburst, muttering, "Gatom." A magical circle appeared beneath him, glowing with intricate symbols. In an instant, he vanished, leaving Elara alone in the void of space.
Elara's voice echoed in the emptiness as she continued cursing. "He actually left! Just like that?! The nerve of that guy!" She paced angrily, her frustration boiling over. "Walking away as if I'm nothing! Unbelievable! Argh!" But her words, filled with rage and frustration, were swallowed by the vast, indifferent cosmos around her.
As Elara continued cursing Anos alone in the void of space, she failed to notice the shadowy humanoid figure that had appeared behind her. The figure, shrouded in darkness, had its palm extended toward the back of her neck.
The shadowy figure then retracted its hand and looked at its palm, where a small crimson dark arrow was stuck. The same arrow that had easily punctured Elara's sword was now embedded in the figure's palm, unable to puncture it. The figure simply clenched its hand, and the arrow was crushed pitifully like a candle.
"..."
It then turned its gaze back to the woman, who still remained oblivious of its presence, still muttering angrily to herself about some monster and other unknown words. The figure's attention then shifted to the nearby planet, its expression inscrutable. In a heartbeat, it vanished, leaving no trace of its presence, as if it had never been there.
Elara, still lost in her tirade, remained blissfully unaware that she had narrowly escaped death, thanks to Anos. The vast, indifferent cosmos continued to envelop her, her furious voice the only sound in the endless void.
—--------------------------------------------
Anos materialized in the upper atmosphere of the planet. He surveyed the expanse before him, his crimson eyes locking onto a familiar figure sitting cross-legged mid-air.
Cid was lounging comfortably, a bag of something clutched in one hand and the other casually tossing kernels of food into his mouth.
"Cid," Anos began, his tone a mixture of surprise and curiosity. "What are you doing here?"
Cid turned his head, grinning as he chewed noisily. "Oh, hey there, bro. Took you long enough. I've been watching your little show. Pretty entertaining, I must say."
Anos frowned, his gaze narrowing. "Watching? From here?" His eyes briefly glanced at the bag in Cid's hand. "And what is that you're eating?"
Cid smirked and held the bag up for inspection. "Popcorn," he said nonchalantly.
Anos raised an eyebrow at the one-word explanation but chose not to comment on it. Instead, he stepped closer, his gaze scrutinizing his brother. "You've been sitting here the entire time? Just... eating?"
Cid laughed, leaning back in the air as if reclining on an invisible chair. "Pretty much. It was a good show. That Elara girl has a fiery spirit. And you? Classic Last-Boss, lording over everyone with your overwhelming power. Not gonna lie, I didn't expect her to survive as long as she did before you let her go."
Anos ignored the jab, his attention shifting to the slight tremor in Cid's hand as he reached for another handful of popcorn.
"Your hand is shaking," Anos observed, his voice soft. "What happened? Are you injured?"
Cid chuckled nervously and quickly retracted the popcorn bag, his carefree demeanor faltering for a brief moment. "W-What, this?" He wiggled his fingers and stuffed another handful of popcorn into his mouth. "Nothing serious, just... got a bit excited watching the drama unfold. That Elara girl, she's got quite the temper, doesn't she?"
Anos's gaze hardened. "Cid," he said slowly, his voice like steel, "you know better than to lie to me."
Cid sighed, realizing there was no point in dodging the question. He set the bag of popcorn aside as it flew away and leaned forward, his usual playful demeanor dimming.
"Alright, fine. It's not exactly 'nothing'," Cid admitted, scratching the back of his head. "While you were busy showing off up there, I… noticed something."
Anos's eyes narrowed. "What did you notice?"
Cid hesitated, then gestured vaguely toward the void above them. "I didn't want to make a big deal out of it, but since you're pressing me…"
He pointed directly into the empty expanse of space. At first, there was nothing—only endless darkness, stars scattered like distant specks of light. Then, as if the universe itself blinked, a presence revealed itself.
Two eyes, each incomprehensibly vast, shimmered into view. They radiated a cold, malevolent light that seemed to pierce through reality itself. The eyes alone were larger than the entire cosmos above, their sheer scale rendering everything else insignificant.
The air around them grew heavy with an oppressive energy. The figure behind the eyes remained hidden in the abyss, but its gaze was fixed entirely on the two brothers.
"..."
"..."
"Yeah," Cid said, his voice strained as he tried to maintain his casual tone. "That's been staring at us for a while now. Big guy, huh? I don't know if it's friendly or just really annoyed we're here." He paused, a flicker of something passing through his eyes. "I only noticed it because I trained my eyes to see beyond the visible light spectrum. Helps with... certain things."
Anos didn't flinch, his expression calm but tinged with mild annoyance. He let out a weary sigh, shaking his head.
"So, you can see it too? Tell me, Cid. Are you even human?" Anos murmured, his tone laced with a mix of resignation and faint amusement.
Cid blinked, caught off guard. "Wait, you knew about this thing?"
"Of course," Anos replied, crossing his arms. "I've felt its presence not long ago. But I chose to ignore it because dealing with it would be… tedious."
"Tedious?" Cid repeated incredulously, glancing back at the colossal eyes. "That thing looks like it could sneeze and wipe out a galaxy, and you're calling it tedious?"
Anos waved a hand dismissively. "It's not as threatening as it appears. That… 'creature' belongs to a dimension far removed from ours, and its reach into this realm is limited. It cannot act directly, no matter how menacing it looks."
Cid raised an eyebrow. "And you're just… okay with letting it glare at us like that?"
Anos shrugged. "Let it glare. It doesn't concern me unless it crosses into this realm completely. And even if it does, I'd simply destroy it."
"Destroy it," Cid echoed, laughing nervously. "Right. Of course. Classic Anos."
"Relax," Anos said, his voice calm but firm. "There's no need to worry. Focus on what's in front of you, not on shadows lurking in the void."
Cid sighed, grabbing his popcorn again and tossing a kernel into his mouth. "You really know how to kill the mood, you know that?"
Anos didn't respond immediately, his gaze lingering on the massive eyes for a moment longer before finally turning away. His expression, calm and composed as always, held the faintest flicker of something deeper—an unspoken recognition, as if he knew more about the figure's presence than he let on.
For a moment, it seemed as though he was weighing a decision, his crimson eyes narrowing slightly, almost imperceptibly. Whatever crossed his mind, he buried it quickly beneath his usual air of unshakable confidence.
"You have nothing to worry about," Anos said finally, his tone steady.
But the slight pause before his words didn't go unnoticed by Cid, who had been watching him closely. "Hold up," Cid said, narrowing his eyes. "You know more about this thing than you're telling me, don't cha?"
Anos didn't answer right away, his gaze fixed on the horizon instead of his brother.
"Hey," Cid pressed, his usual smirk replaced with a rare look of seriousness. "Don't fucking play emo with me. If there's something you're not telling me, now's the time to spill it. Big guy."
Anos's lips curved into a faint smile, though it didn't reach his eyes. "There are things, Cid, that even someone like you is better off not knowing. This is one of them."
Cid frowned, clearly unsatisfied with the response. "Cryptic much? You really think you can just brush this off and I'll let it go?"
"Yes," Anos replied simply, stepping forward as he called a magical circle with a wave of his hand. "Because some truths serve no purpose other than to distract and burden. Trust me on this—there's nothing for you to gain by knowing."
Cid's frown deepened, but he didn't argue further. He glanced back at the colossal eyes one last time, a gnawing sense of unease creeping into his chest.
"You know, bro" he muttered, more to himself than to Anos, "you can be a real pain in the ass sometimes."
Without waiting for a response, he followed his overpowered emo brother into the magical circle, leaving the oppressive void and its looming watcher behind.
Once he stood beside him. Cid grinned mischievously, his usual nonchalance creeping back into his voice. "So, you just gonna leave your girlfriend behind like that?"
Anos shot him a sidelong glance, his expression unreadable.
Cid chuckled, his tone tinged with mockery. "What, are you planning on adding the first princess to the mix? Gonna make it a threesome, huh?"
Anos simply shook his head, his attention already on the magical circle.
"Okay, hear me out. Can I watch—"
"Gatom."
As the magical circle glowed and they both disappeared, the massive eyes blinked slowly, their piercing gaze lingering on the space where the brothers had stood. The void quivered ever so slightly, as if the figure in the darkness was amused. Or perhaps, waiting.