Chapter two
Meeting
***
~ [Notice] ~
[Jan-jan]!
*Disturbing fanfare noises*
[Congratulations on your successful introductions. To commemorate your acquaintances…]
[A call will be initiated automatically. During the call, members can see each other face to face and speak to each other.]
[Inside the call space, time is accelerated for a brief period; thus, it cannot be used long-term.]
***
Glimmers of stardust lifted from their sight,
And they appeared in a place. A modern esque lounge, like that of an high-class.
Several decorations were placed around, about six windows spaced around, with warm light filtering in.
Dispensers, fridges, even a television were present, with a couch and a rug underneath.
"…This place is—"
A voice came from Morgan's side, and the male whipped his head towards that direction.
It was a short young man with heterochromatic eyes, purple on his right and green on his left, and long maroon hair with many hair antennas.
He was wearing a long black uniform with a few thin red and yellow lines.
His neck was covered by a glowing yellow light at the borders of his collar.
Morgan couldn't help but—
"Pfttt!"
Morgan clamped a hand over his mouth.
Immediately, Tenma Unomiya's head snapped toward him, his brows darkening.
"Brat. Did you just laugh at me?"
"Pftt—no, pfftt–Hahahaha!"
Morgan burst into laughter, failing to hold it back.
A thick vein bulged at Tenma's temple. His lips peeled back into a dangerous grin, the kind that promised pain.
Morgan, finally realizing the danger, waved his hands in surrender, still chuckling under his breath.
"Haha—s-sorry, sorry. I didn't mean it."
But Tenma's glare didn't soften in the slightest.
In fact, now that he looked closely at Morgan, his irritation only deepened.
The male across from him was slightly taller than Tenma.
His features… soft, almost delicate, leaning toward the feminine.
Not that it made Tenma happy in the slightest. What really irked him was the feeling he got from the boy.
'This guy… he's wrapping the air around him.'
Before Tenma could push further, a third voice rang out.
"I see you two are already here."
Millavair Lou Nebulis VIII made her presence known last, stepping gracefully into view.
She paused, eyes flicking between the pair.
The younger one with closed eyes had to be Morgan Sinclair.
And the one with the irritated scowl… that must be the so-called Kijin, Unomiya Tenma.
Tilting her head, she regarded them both.
"Ahem."
"Oi, woman." Tenma's eyes narrowed sharply on her. "You were about to laugh, weren't you?"
The God of In-between could tolerate many things. However, one of the many things he could not tolerate was…
Mockery about his height.
And, two people had already tested that line today.
Millavair lifted her chin ever so slightly.
"Pardon me."
As an empress, she knew the weight of courtesy.
If nothing else, she would extend the minimum of it to these… strangers.
Still, she couldn't ignore what her instincts as an assassin were telling her.
Tenma was strong.
Stronger than her even.
But it was stranger with Morgan. Like he was unguarded, but at the same time, she couldn't find an opening.
"So? Now that we're here, the hell do we do? In the first place, what's even this place, and that thing?"
Tenma's brow knitted.
Surely, in all the futures he'd seen, he hadn't seen this happening.
While he would have told the exorcist head, at the same time, knowing that man…
Tsuchimikado Arima wouldn't want the future to deviate from what they had seen, at the very least, to ensure their win.
Hence, he couldn't ask him.
"Hm. A pocket dimension."
By the time Tenma snapped his head around, both he and Millavair found Morgan gazing up at the ceiling.
For the first time, his eyes were open.
Crystal-clear, impossibly blue, mesmerizing, and almost unnatural in their shine.
"Pocket dimension?"
Those words left Millavair's lips slowly, prompting a nod.
"Yes. An enclosed space, if I'm not wrong, then the scenery outside is utterly fabricated."
Hearing that, Tenma blinked.
'I can still manipulate Spell Power.'
He clenched and unclenched his fist, spreading out his enchanted senses with his index and middle finger pressed together.
True, the details were more vivid. They were truly in an enclosed space. It was no illusion, and he could sense the passage of time was slightly... off?
He wasn't new to the intricacies of space-time manipulation.
Be that as it may, Basara's that could manipulate space and time respectively existed in his world.
"Then, what about this thing? If it could connect three distinct worlds, then I reckon it has to be something impressive."
Millavair, with the grace of a queen, lowered herself onto the nearest couch.
Morgan, on the other hand, dropped casually onto the sofa across from her, leaning back with an easy air.
He shook his head.
"Let's chalk it up to mystery, shall we?"
With a tilt of his head, casually, those words left his lips.
"Hey… you aren't serious, are you?"
Typical of Tenma, when others are sitting on the chair like normal people… leave it to him to sit on the armrest of the couch.
"It's no use."
Morgan gave an easy shrug, leaning back.
"These kinds of things… they're usually filed under mystery. Or, if that doesn't sit well with you, we can just call it alien tech."
"I shouldn't have humored you."
Tenma muttered, shaking his head.
"But that aside…" Morgan tilted his head slightly, the faintest grin tugging at his lips. "Tenma. Are you being haunted?"
"Hah?"
Without honorifics Morgan addressed the male, prompting his head to turn and then a narrowed gaze.
As expected, this brat really is—
"...!"
The thought froze on his tongue as Morgan's blue eyes turned directly on him, almost eerily, like the male could see through him.
"I don't know… maybe its just because I haven't seen this since using my powers… black smoke, like hands… clinging around you."
The room seemed to grow quieter with those words.
Until… Tenma clicked his tongue.
With a dismissive wave of his hand. "Forget it. It's my constitution."
The lie was obvious.
Both Morgan and Millavair could read it instantly. The tension in his tone, the way he shut the subject down too quickly.
Millavair's gaze lingered, thoughtful.
Morgan's offhand remark had only confirmed what her instincts already told her.
Tenma Unomiya was something different.
And not in the good way.
Both Millavair and Morgan looked at each other for a moment, and then both gave a nod.
Then again—
"I'd like to hear from you, Mr. Morgan, about your world."
"Aaa. You can drop the 'Mister,' though."
Millavair's lips curved faintly, her eyes closing as she inclined her head.
"Very well then, Morgan."
On the other hand, he mused about it.
Truth be told… he didn't really know all that much.
The brief he could find was about the history of the world, even then he hadn't finished reading it all from 'Nikipedia.'
Yup.
That similarity was there, but slightly altered in ways like this. Regardless of that
"Three years ago…"
A gate had torn open between Earth and something else, "the Beyond."
From there, emerged creatures unlike any mankind has seen before.
Supersonic monkeys, vampires, talking fishmen, and all sorts of different supernatural monsters appeared.
With their descent, they were trapped in an impenetrable bubble, forced to coexist together.
Now…
It was normal, living together with these creatures.
Or at least is what 'Nikipedia' says.
"I see… that's quite the story…"
Millavair nodded, meaning Tenma cast a strange gaze, as though to question the validity.
"It's very much real, Mr. Tenma, or should I say… Tenma-san?"
"I ain't doubting. I simply find it… weird."
But as though to counter the God of In-between, Morgan muttered under his breath, challenging.
"I'm sure your world is just as weird."
Tenma's lips twitched. He couldn't retort to Morgan's words, but still, annoyedly, he flicked his hand.
"Sure. But your world might be considered paradise compared to ours."
"I very much doubt that, Senior. I might have awakened not long ago, but I think differently. Well… I guess we really don't see eye to eye."
A slow grin curved Tenma's mouth. "Now you're speaking my language, Kōhai."
Both let a glare, staring at each other for a moment when Millavair sighed.
For a moment, she felt less like an empress and more like a mother forced to watch two unruly sons trade barbs.
"Haah… between the two of your worlds or mine," she murmured, rubbing her temple, "I've no idea which has it worse."
Both males paused and turned toward her, the silence that followed almost sheepish.
Astral Energy.
Long ago, the people of the Nebulis Sovereignty had once been loyal citizens of the Heavenly Empire.
But everything changed with the discovery of Astral Energy.
Those touched by this strange force began to manifest extraordinary powers, supernatural abilities that defied reason.
At first, they were seen as curiosities. Soon, however, fear took root.
Suspicion turned to hatred, and persecution followed.
Hunted and reviled, those gifted with Astral Energy had no choice but to abandon their homeland and find a place of their own.
What began as a single territory soon drew others to its banner.
Independent nations who shared their resentment of the Empire.
One by one, they gathered, until at last they were bound together as the Nebulis Sovereignty.
But the Empire would not tolerate their existence.
Declaring Astral Mages an abomination, the Empire swore to cleanse the world of them.
The Sovereignty, in turn, vowed vengeance for the oppression and blood they had suffered.
And so, war was born. A war that has raged for more than a century, with no end in sight.
"Haah…"
Millavair's sigh carried both weariness and inevitability as she closed her account.
Her words hung, until at last both Morgan and Tenma exchanged a look.
Wry, and almost bitter.
Each of them, it seemed, came from worlds already drowning in their own chaos.
"Does Ms. Millavair want to end the war?"
Morgan's voice cut through the lull, his shut eyes tilting toward her. The woman only smiled.
Gentle, almost motherly.
"Call me Mira. You are neither my subjects nor my enemies, so I grant you that much."
Her tone softened, but when she shook her head, her tone then hardened.
"As for your question… I do not know. The war is not only my burden. It is the will of our ancestors, and of our people."
Tenma snorted.
While she spoke, he lazily dug a pinky into his ear, clearly unimpressed, without so much sparing a glance.
"Yeah, yeah. But is it your wish? 'Cause the longer the war drags, the more graves you're digging."
"I agree with snarky senior over there."
Morgan muttered, pointing a thumb at Tenma with a tired sigh.
"Haah… I consider the Empire cruel and barbaric. As long as they refuse to stop, neither can I. Neither can we."
Tenma and Morgan exchanged glances.
More or less… they understood the situation now. As long as the Empire continues their hunt, then she won't relent.
At the same time, she's not willing to drop the hunt first due to grievances.
"Haah."
Morgan scratched his head.
"Then, I guess we should put those depressing stuffs behind. We still have some minutes left."
"So I wanna ask, how do the abilities in Snarky Senior's world work!"
Morgan turned with a smile to Tenma.
Aaa. Tenma at this moment, had a premonition. Those blue eyes were dangerous. And thus…
"No."
He shot Morgan down.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
[Ting~!]
['Hidden Task' completed!]
[Awaken access to awakening Spiritual Energy: Spell Power, confirmed. Access to awakening Spiritual Guardian, confirmed.]
[Additional task completed. Awaken access to Astral Energy, confirmed. Access to awakening Astral Power, confirmed.]
[Extra task completed. Awaken access to Supernatural Power, confirmed.]
────♤────
[God of In-between: Woman. Let's make an exchange.]
[Silent Wind: Oh? And what might that entail?]
[God of In-between: You offer things from your world, I offer from mine. Fair trade. I believe we'd all benefit.]
[Not a Pendragon: Hm. That actually sounds good. I'll support snarky Senior on this one.]
[Silent Wind: Mm. Indeed, those "talismans" you described could function like instant spells in our battles.]
[God of In-between: And the so-called tech of your Empire… could be useful in small ways. But if it's really as advanced as you claim, I'll expect a lot more than scraps.]
[Not a Pendragon: Well, I have nothing much to offer. But I guess I can offer my strength when things get rough, so you can count on me.]
[Silent Wind: Indeed. I do get the feeling you're formidable. I'll be counting on you then, Morgan.]
[God of In-between: Ha. In that case, let us both go toe-to-toe the next time we get the chance. Like the woman said, you do look strong, Kōhai.]
[Not a Pendragon: Seems like Snarky Senior's itching to lose.]
[God of In-between: Hmph. Keep running that mouth. We'll settle it soon enough.]
[Not a Pendragon: I'll be waiting.]
[Silent Wind: Haaah.]
All of a sudden, Millavair felt like she had adopted two kids out of nowhere. In contrast to the female children she had…
These two were quite open. And, she didn't hate the atmosphere.