Chapter 92: The Stars
Somewhere else, outside The Eternal Night Heaven...
Region of Utopia — Headquarters of the Immortal Star Wings Empire.
Inside a colossal throne hall with enormous pillars and a ceiling adorned with stars revolving around countless orbits...
Eight people were seated within the hall.
Upon the Emperor’s throne sat a man wearing a loose black robe. He possessed a powerful physique, while four dragon horns rose from his head, Exuding an overwhelming aura.
Within his eyes, the life cycle of stars unfolded every moment...
From their birth to their death.
From the day the first spark was born... to the day their final ray faded away.
The sight was magnificent, reflecting the same overwhelming aura as the stars themselves and enveloping his entire body...
Yet just like the stars, anyone who stared into those eyes for too long would lose their sight sooner or later.
This man bore a striking resemblance to Iris Lagnar...
But unlike Iris’s golden hair streaked with crimson, this man’s hair was entirely crimson with a faint black tint.
He was the Emperor of the Immortal Star Wings Empire...
And Iris’s father...
The Immortal King Hell Star — Thayron Lagnar.
Beside him sat a woman wearing a flowing golden gown embroidered with countless white threads. A semi-transparent white veil covered her face, while a radiant crown rested upon her golden hair.
Even with the veil concealing her features, and the loose gown hiding the curves of her body...
She radiated an aura of maturity and pride, as though she stood above everyone else without exception.
Numerous strands of radiant light gathered around her, as though the light of the stars itself was drawn toward her...
As though she were sacred and pure beyond the rest of humanity...
She was Iris’s mother, the Empress of the Immortal Star Wings Empire...
The Immortal Quee Pulsing Star — Lumira Lagnar.
At this moment, the Emperor, the Empress, and the remaining six people were all seated before a screen of light displaying the battle between Iris and Ricky.
"Hahahaha, The young prince showed remarkable restraint. Instead of acting impulsively in anger, and attacking his opponent in anger, he taught that boy from the Primordial Fangs a lesson in choosing his words."
Below the imperial throne were several seats occupied by several people.
The one who had just spoken sat closest to the throne.
He was an elderly man who appeared to be in his sixties, powerfully built, bald, with a medium-length white beard and a kind smile that never left his face.
"You’ve taught him well, Prime Minister."
Empress Lumira nodded toward the Prime Minister and spoke in a gentle voice that filled everyone who heard it with a sense of peace.
"Hahahaha, Your Majesty flatters me too much."
The Prime Minister stroked his beard with a smile of satisfaction.
"I’ve personally mentored many princes and princesses, and every one of them was exceptional. But to be fair... His Highness Iris is one of the most outstanding among them."
Opposite the Prime Minister were four seats occupied by four people.
Upon hearing the old man’s praise, three of them secretly gritted their teeth, though smiles remained on their faces.
The fourth person, however, who sat closest to the throne among them, simply held a cup filled with a strange blue drink.
He quietly gazed at it while gently swirling the cup in his hand, as though the discussion had nothing to do with him.
He was an extraordinarily handsome man who strongly resembled both Emperor Thayron and the young Iris, though his features were far calmer.
Unlike the crimson-haired Emperor and the golden-haired Iris, this man’s hair was black as night.
However, he shared the same crimson eyes as the rest of them.
At that moment, Emperor Thayron ignored the conversation between the Empress and the Prime Minister. He looked toward that man and spoke in a deep voice.
"Azar... Tell me your opinion on what’s happening."
Hearing the Emperor’s command, Azar looked up and stopped playing with his cup.
However, the boredom filling his eyes did not disappear.
He shifted his gaze toward the screen of light before him, where the atmosphere between Iris and Ricky had grown increasingly tense inside the Eternal Colosseum.
Only then did he finally speak.
"My younger brother’s words sound dazzling and grand at first glance... But had he thought more carefully, he would’ve realized that most of what he said is wrong."
After watching the screen for a moment, Azar lowered his gaze back to the cup in his hand without the slightest interest.
He took a sip before continuing.
"The difference between us humans and monsters is as obvious as the stars in the sky.
It’s foolish to compare countless races, each vastly different from the others, to a single race.
Each side has its own strengths and weaknesses.
And monsters are certainly not lacking in powerful individuals, as my younger brother claims.
They simply weren’t prominent throughout the universe’s long history.
Without monsters, humanity would never have reached the level it stands at today.
Without monsters, there would be no such thing as the Immortal Star Wings Empire.
Without monsters, humanity wouldn’t possess even half of the Immortals it has today."
Silence fell over the entire hall.
Everyone was shocked by the boldness of Azar’s words.
Their expressions darkened, especially those of the Prime Minister and the Empress.
After all...
Iris was her son.
Azar was not.
He was the Emperor’s son...
But from a different woman.
He had been gifted and intelligent ever since childhood.
Besides Iris and Emperor Thayron, those three were the only people in the entire Empire who possessed a Heaven-grade mutated bloodline.
After hearing Azar’s words, The Emperor remained as composed as ever as he looked at him quietly.
However, someone else could no longer remain as calm.
"What you’re saying, Your Highness, is an extremely serious accusation.
You’re claiming that without those beasts, our Empire wouldn’t exist.
That without them, humanity would’ve never advanced.
That without them, geniuses would’ve never risen.
You truly look down on your own race, Your Highness, the Crown Prince.
And how can you compare us humans to those bloodthirsty creatures...
Who kill over the smallest of reasons?"