Inside the throne room, after Akira's departure...
Silence fell, broken only by the fading echo of his distant footsteps against the dark marble floor—like the remnants of an ancient dream dissolving into nothingness.
Luminous sat motionless on her throne. Her fingers still gripped the hilt of Night Rose, the sword thrumming with an aura unlike any weapon she'd ever wielded... an aura that felt like him. Steady. Silent. Yet capable of erasing everything in an instant.
She stared at the blade again—at its engravings, at the blue flower that mirrored her eyes... as if he'd forged it for her alone. For the Empire? No. For what she meant to him.
Her whisper was barely audible:
"Fool... Why say it as if it's just a journey?"
She rested the sword across her lap and gazed at the door he'd exited through, as if she could still see him standing there—his expression unreadable, but his eyes carrying the weight of millennia.
"A thousand years I spent watching you pass by like the wind... always present, yet always out of reach."
She breathed slowly, moving her hands to sheath the weapon. The sound of the scabbard closing was like a page turning in the book of their shared history.
"Even in farewell... you wouldn't let me ask you to stay."
A faint smile touched her lips, but it held no joy. Only sorrow... and resignation.
"Twenty thousand years...? Do you really think I couldn't wait?"
Her eyes drifted to the candle flickering beside the throne, then she murmured:
"Yes... I'm also that kind of person. The kind who never forgets a promise, even one veiled as a path."
She lifted her head toward the ornate ceiling, where a painted mural depicted a dark sky and icy peaks, then closed her eyes for a long moment.
"Until we meet again... you, the man I swore to claim for myself."
_
After leaving the Imperial Palace...
Akira returned to his workshop and home, using telepathy to contact Velgrynd and the others, summoning them to gather there.
Though he'd asked everyone to assemble, he didn't hurry back. Instead, he walked leisurely through the Imperial Capital, his gaze lingering on its beauty—a city that had sheltered him for over five centuries.
Sunset draped the capital's walls in a golden hue, blending with the cool air whispering through marble statues and trees. Akira's footsteps were quiet, yet they carried an invisible weight... as if every cobblestone bid him farewell, every lit window waved in silent acknowledgment.
He paused by the ancient square's fountain. The sound of flowing water hadn't changed—the same rhythm he'd heard for five hundred years. His eyes lifted to the statue of Luminous, and he muttered:
"Truly beloved by her people... despite her coldness."
He smirked wryly at the majestic statue, then continued until he reached the upper district and his workshop. The old wooden door swung open on its own, activated by the magic seal on its handle.
"Welcome back, Akira-sama."
Misery's voice greeted him the moment he stepped inside. Clearly, she'd been waiting.
"I'm back."
Akira nodded lightly, his eyes scanning the empty shop—he'd gifted everything in it to Luminous. "Is everyone here?"
"Yes. Velgrynd-sama, Velzard-sama, and Honoka-sama are on the second floor."
Misery replied respectfully, removing Akira's coat and folding it meticulously as she followed him upstairs. "Also... Velzard-sama brought someone who wishes to meet you."
"I see."
Akira ascended the wooden stairs to the second-floor living quarters.
In the lounge, four familiar figures awaited: Velgrynd, Velzard, Honoka, and Rain—plus one unfamiliar presence.
The stranger had long purple hair with blue tips, exuding a serene, sage-like aura. A black blindfold covered his eyes, yet his mere presence compelled reverence.
"A pleasure, I suppose."
Akira stared at the man sipping tea with a faint smile. "You're Veldanava, aren't you?"
His tone was casual, almost indifferent—as if he weren't addressing the Creator of the universe, the primordial being of their world.
"You're correct. I am Veldanava."
Veldanava nodded, his smile widening warmly. "I'm your elder brother. You may call me Nii-san or Big Brother."
"Then, Nii-san... mind telling me why you've suddenly visited after cautiously watching us for the past thousand years?"
Akira disliked beating around the bush.
Veldanava chuckled softly, setting his teacup on the glass table:
"I knew you'd ask directly... You haven't changed, Akira."
Akira sank into the opposite couch, relaxed as if meeting an old friend—not the architect of existence:
"Frankly, I dislike surprises. Especially from someone like you."
Velgrynd's eyes flickered with mild irritation as she leaned near her brother, glancing between them:
"He genuinely surprised all of us. Didn't warn anyone he'd appear like this."
Veldanava plucked a sweet from the table, amused:
"What's the issue? I merely wished to see my little brother after so long. Was the timing poor?"
"No issue. I'd have visited you otherwise—I'm tired of this cat-and-mouse game."
Akira shrugged, accepting a water glass from Rain with a nod.
"So... care to explain why you've watched me all these years? Even sent Velzard to spy on me?"
Veldanava's expression didn't flicker, but Velgrynd's eyes widened in shock before glaring at Velzard and Veldanava.
Ignoring Velgrynd's stare, Velzard averted her gaze guiltily. She'd confessed everything to Akira after 300 years of surveillance—unable to bear the deceit once she'd grown to see him as family (or more). She'd revealed how Veldanava, fearing Akira might destroy the world, had ordered her to monitor him.
...
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