Selena leaned forward, her voice dropping just slightly, though her smile never faded.
"And then… everything changed when the Oblivions attacked."
Akira grinned. "Let me guess, they waited until our ancestors got weaker, while they built up their own numbers and power, then just struck when no one expected it? Is that what happened?"
Inside, he knew his sister had just dropped a reference, but he decided not to point it out. Better not to derail the conversation again.
Selena nodded. "Exactly that. They concentrated their forces on a single point, broke through the seal, and took our ancestors completely off guard. Worlds fell one after another. Outposts crumbled. The Empire was overwhelmed before they could even react."
Akira frowned, resting his chin on his hand. "I don't get it. Why were our ancestors so weak by then? Stellar Radiance should've been super effective against the Oblivions, right? And it's not like they were alone; they had allies, too. Shouldn't the Order of the Star Chase have been able to fight back?"
Selena shook her head with a smile. "Brother, Stellar Radiance isn't just some flashy power anyone can use. To wield its true strength, both the bloodline and the nature of the soul must remain pure. But after generations of marrying into other races, that purity was diluted. Their bloodline weakened. Their souls shifted. They could no longer channel Stellar Radiance the way the first generations could."
Akira raised a brow. "Okay, but what about Star Souls? Couldn't those cover the gap?"
Selena shook her head gently. "No. Star Souls were only imitations. At best, they allowed natives to make their attacks effective against the Oblivions. But true Stellar Radiance? That was different. The original Asterians weren't just humans who could shine purple light, brother. They were cosmic godlike beings, existences that could warp reality itself if they willed it. Imagine wielding power as naturally as breathing. That was them. Compared to that, a Star Soul is just… a spark imitating a star."
Akira's eyes widened. "Warp reality…? That strong?!" He then asked in confusion, "Wait, didn't you say we're closer to elves? Why are you suddenly comparing them to gods?"
Selena gave him a small smile. "I'm talking about us, the current Asterians. We're nowhere near that level anymore."
She continued, her voice carrying a note of melancholy. "The Star Soul could only make the attacks of natives effective against the Oblivions. But true Asterians didn't need such things. For them, Stellar Radiance was as natural as breathing. But for the weakened descendants, it could only be drawn out through positive emotions like love, hope, and friendship. It was no longer something natural. Imagine trying to summon love and warmth while being torn apart in battle; it's not easy. That's why their strength collapsed so drastically."
Akira blinked and leaned back. "Okay, but… could they beat Goku though?"
Selena's expression didn't waver. "They could beat the Omni-King."
"…Oh." Akira sank into silence.
Erika, who had been listening intently, furrowed her brows. "But… if marrying other races weakened them, why do it in the first place? Couldn't they have just avoided it to keep their bloodline strong?"
Selena's lips curled into a knowing smile. "Well, that's where politics come in."
"Politics?!" both Akira and Erika exclaimed in unison.
Akira leaned forward, his expression twisted with disbelief. "What do you mean by politics? What does that have to do with anything?"
Selena smiled knowingly. "After the war, when peace returned, our ancestors didn't just scatter. They established the Asterian Empire, a multiversal empire spanning countless worlds. The very first Emperor was one of the original Asterians, a being directly born from the Imaginary Tree. And this place we're in now? This city is the capital, Asterisia."
Akira and Erika glanced toward the horizon, spotting towering structures piercing the skies. They looked like skyscrapers, but taller than anything on earth. But even though the city was grand, it felt eerily empty, silent, like a ghost city.
Selena continued smoothly, "And the easiest way to expand an empire is through marriage, right? Sure, the Asterians could've crushed any resistance with raw strength. But they weren't evil tyrants. They wanted peace, so they relied on… gentler methods. Well, mostly gentle."
Akira frowned. "Wait, wait. Back up. Why even create an empire in the first place? I thought our ancestors were supposed to be the cool protectors, not rulers."
Selena chuckled. "You see, during the war, one of the biggest problems wasn't just the Oblivions. It was the natives themselves. They were too busy fighting amongst each other to unite properly. You can't make bitter enemies suddenly fight side by side overnight, right? In the end, the only reason they did fight together was because the Oblivions left them with no choice. But after the war? They'd just go back to tearing each other apart. So our ancestors decided the only way to keep peace was to rule. To stop all wars, to create prosperity, to unify. Thus, they forged an empire to unify everyone and bring peace. Sometimes… with persuasion. Sometimes… with force."
Erika tilted her head. "So… did every Asterian end up marrying into other races? Couldn't some of them have just married each other to keep the bloodline pure?"
Selena tapped her cheek thoughtfully. "Maybe some did. I don't really know the details. But even then, the next generations still spread out. Eventually, everyone intermingled. That's just how it went. And with every generation, the power of Stellar Radiance grew weaker. Until… when the Oblivions attacked again, our ancestors were overwhelmed easily.
Her smile faded just slightly, though her eyes still carried that calm but serious expression.
"And so… to save all of reality, our ancestors made a drastic decision."