The skies above Elystria Prime rippled with light as Kiyoto and Mitsui ascended aboard a hovering platform. Elystria High—the legendary city of the Celestials—hung suspended among the clouds, its crystal spires shimmering in hues of gold and silver. A hum of divine energy pulsed through the air, almost deafening in its intensity.
"This place… it's unbelievable," Mitsui whispered, her eyes wide. Even after everything she had witnessed with Kiyoto, the sheer scale of Elystria High left her breathless.
Kiyoto's crimson-gold eyes scanned the towering city. "Focus, Mitsui. We're here to speak with the Council, not sightsee." His voice was calm, but there was an underlying edge of authority that made even the platform guards bow subtly as they approached.
The grand hall of Elystria High was a marvel. Celestials—beings of pure light and ethereal presence—stood around a massive circular table that seemed to float above the floor. Their eyes glimmered with knowledge spanning eons, and the sheer aura of the room pressed against reality itself, bending light and sound.
"Another mortal meddling in divine affairs," a Councilor's voice boomed, resonant and sharp. He was taller than most humans, his body shimmering with golden radiance that seemed to pierce through the veil of reality. "Kiyoto Mushu Justin, you dare appear here without invitation?"
Kiyoto stepped forward, unflinching. "I didn't come to beg permission," he said, voice steady. "Balance must be maintained, not ignored. You know the state of the world—the disturbances, the rise of the Abyss Order, the Shadow Heir's movements. I am here because these threats affect all realms, Celestial or mortal alike."
A murmur passed through the hall. Several Councilors shifted uneasily, as though a mortal speaking of balance on their level was both audacious and frightening.
"To demonstrate the urgency," Kiyoto continued, "I will show you firsthand."
He raised a hand, and a shard of crystallized mana suddenly fell from the ceiling. In an instant, time slowed around it. The shard hovered midair, spinning slowly, threatening to shatter the crystal floor below.
Mitsui's eyes widened, her Soulflux reacting automatically. She felt every thread of probability in the room, each potential future where the shard might strike someone or disappear harmlessly.
Kiyoto's aura flared. With a subtle motion, the shard's trajectory bent, and it landed softly on the platform with a dull thud. The tension in the hall vanished as the Councilors absorbed what had just occurred.
"You… controlled that shard?" one Councilor asked, voice tinged with awe.
"Yes," Kiyoto replied, bowing slightly. "And that is only a fraction of what is at stake. Balance is fragile, and the Shadow Heir is moving. Without action, chaos will spread through mortal and divine realms alike."
Mitsui shifted slightly, keeping her distance, but she could feel the subtle, almost imperceptible resonance of Kiyoto's Pulse Mode Ascendant. Every pulse of his aura whispered control over threads of probability, threads she could barely perceive but felt instinctively.
The Council remained silent, the weight of Kiyoto's presence pressing down. Finally, a voice spoke—soft but commanding.
"Kiyoto Mushu Justin… you have indeed grown," said the eldest Councilor. "But do you truly comprehend the forces you are dealing with? The Shadow Heir is only one threat. Others have observed you from realms beyond comprehension. Your path will not be simple."
Kiyoto's lips curved in a slight smile. "Then I will meet them all. Balance must be upheld, no matter the cost."
Mitsui, feeling the raw pulse of her Soulflux sync momentarily with Kiyoto's aura, whispered under her breath, "He… he's on a level I can't even imagine."
Outside, in the distant corners of the multiverse, shadows moved and whispered. Kael Mushu and the Abyss Order had already taken notice, but others—trans-dimensional observers with motives unknown—were watching as well. The first threads of the coming storm were beginning to weave themselves, and Kiyoto stood at its center.
> The Celestial Summit had witnessed his power. Yet even here, in the presence of divinity itself, Kiyoto knew the real challenges were only just beginning.
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