Chapter 153: New Members ?
"So, you’re telling me you got captured because you decided to play hero?"
Akasha asked, clearly fighting the urge to laugh outright.
"Honestly, I never thought you would have a case of Hero’s Syndrome," Luna added, making no effort at all to hold back her own laughter.
Beside her, Yume’s cooler expression had softened into quiet, open amusement as they listened to the full story—Dark Thorn’s grip on Noxara, the freed continents, the brutal clash between the two Titan brothers.
Taking in the scene before him, Jovian’s golden eyes narrowed in irritation.
His gaze flicked from one laughing woman to the other, then landed back on Akasha.
"Dude, seriously... Am I just supposed to stand here while they clown me like this?" he asked, his voice edged with disbelief.
Akasha, however, paid the question no mind, simply motioning for him to follow before turning and starting down the long, sloping path of the mountain.
As he moved, he sent out a subtle, silent call through the Domain.
Number One appeared a moment later in a brief ripple of shadow.
The Guardian Construct wore his usual Anbu-like black mask, long white hair falling straight down his back.
He paused, taking in Akasha’s radiant, hornless form, a rare flicker of surprise briefly visible behind the mask.
"Master... I see you’ve changed," he remarked, his tone steady and composed.
Though as stunned as the others by Akasha’s astonishing transformation, he wasn’t one to dwell on such matters for long. Without missing a beat, he redirected his attention to the task at hand.
"What is it you need from me?"
"Go allow Liliana and Amber into the Domain," Akasha replied.
Normally, even with Akasha’s Divine Sense linked to his Divinity, he couldn’t perceive anywhere near a full light year.
But on Kalpa, with his mind intertwined with the world consciousness, it was a different story—his Divine Sense could easily encompass the entire planet if he wished.
At his command, Number One gave a single nod.
"Understood."
Then, as swiftly and cleanly as he had appeared, he was gone.
Jovian observed the whole scene with a slow shake of his head, clearly still trying to wrap his mind around the relentless stream of absurd events.
Noticing that Akasha had no intention of answering his earlier question, Yume caught the look on his face and replied without hesitation.
"You know, we’re not some fragile children," she said, her tone mild but firm. "As long as you watch your words, you can say whatever you like."
With a shrug, she added, "And it’s hardly our fault you managed to get yourself captured."
To Yume’s ending words, Jovian’s mouth gave a faint twitch.
After a brief pause, he spoke, his tone carefully controlled.
"Can I at least know your real names... and where exactly we are?"
Luna spoke up first, her pink-and-purple hair swaying gently as she offered a bright, deliberate smile.
"Well, I’m Luna, companion and lover of this guy right here."
Yume followed, her voice soft yet steady.
"Just call me Yume, and I’m also the lover of Master."
Finally, Akasha finished without any theatrics, a faint smile on his lips.
"And... I’m Akasha. Right now, we’re back on the topside of Kalpa, and you’re standing in my home."
Jovian heard the names clearly enough, but they barely seemed to sink in.
His focus was fixed entirely on the final detail, the weight of it hitting him like a punch. Another ripple of shock washed over his features as the full meaning began to take hold.
"How the hell did we even get from one world to another?" he muttered, more to himself than to them.
"Wait... forget it," he said, as the truth suddenly clicked in his mind.
’Well... If he can hand me a starship whenever he wants, then there’s no way this is his only one,’ he mused silently, the thought lingering in the back of his mind.
----
They continued downward in relative silence after that.
And with the changes of the mountain itself.... the walk was beyond long.
However, Akasha wanted to enjoy the fruits of his labor to the fullest, taking in the full beauty of his mountain.
By the time the four of them reached the bottom, two familiar figures were already approaching from the outer edge of the Domain.
Liliana in dark crimson-black robes and Amber walking close beside her, brown hair stirring in the mountain breeze as both women came to a stop at the sight of the returning group.
Akasha let out a quiet sigh deep in his thoughts.
’Alright... sure, one of them might be a bit crazy, and there’s a chance my disciple could clash with the other,’ he mused, knowing it was always wise to understand exactly what you were getting into before taking the plunge.
But as his gaze lingered on them—really taking them in—he couldn’t help but think...
’At least they’re both beautiful in their own ways.... Maybe this won’t be as troublesome as I imagined.’
However, that hopeful thought didn’t last long.
Liliana and Amber suddenly froze in place, the same stunned silence that had gripped Jovian earlier now settling heavily over the two women.
Liliana had seen him more recently than most, yet the difference between the man she remembered and the figure standing in front of her still stole the breath from her lungs.
Amber’s brown eyes widened and stayed fixed on him, open and unguarded.
In that moment, favorability numbers rose in the corner of Akasha’s vision almost immediately.
[Liliana Salvatore’s Favorability: 98/100]
[Amber Salvatore’s (Loria) Favorability: 86/100]
----
’What the hell is going on?’ He thought as in that moment, a faint frown pulled at his mouth.
Luna’s soft laughter brushed against his side. "Did you forget one of the traits of your race already?"
Her voice continued directly into his mind, quieter and more pointed.
’Well, My Love... that imperfect beauty of yours is too much for most people. If I were not already madly in love with you, who knows what I might have done just looking at you.’
Hearing this, Akasha nearly brought a hand to his face as the realization settled quickly.
The beauty his race carried was not limited to simple attraction.
It tilted the way others perceived and treated him—favor, obsession, deference—without any conscious effort on his part.
That was why Jovian’s number had climbed so sharply after only a few minutes of exposure.
Instantly, he adjusted the trait.
The underlying appearance remained unchanged, yet the passive pressure of Imperfect Beauty dimmed until he registered as nothing more than an unusually handsome man.
’I can’t nerf myself too much now...’ He thought to himself as he felt this was good enough, as being too beautiful could only land one in a world of trouble.
The moment the pressure eased, Liliana stepped forward, still visibly unsettled.
"What... happened to you?"
The words slipped out before she could stop them, tumbling into the air with surprising urgency. She quickly caught herself, crimson eyes narrowing as she searched for the right phrasing.
"No, that’s not it. How is it that you’ve somehow become even more beautiful than you were before?"
Amber remained half a step behind her mother, a small, almost private smile on her lips.
’By my authority.... He really is such a pretty boy,’ she thought, the observation warm and entirely unfiltered.
Ignoring her question... Akasha exhaled once and addressed Liliana directly, voice even.
"So, should I call you the Red Lady... or Peak Master Liliana?"
The words landed like a stone in still water. Both Jovian and Amber froze, golden and brown eyes swinging toward Liliana in identical expressions of sudden, sharp recognition.