Eternity Constellation ∞ Song Chien. From a place as high as the sky itself, she observed the flow of the world, and then made her way to the communication chamber of the Constellations with benevolent alignments. ♥, ☮, †, 水, 風, ♣, ♪... and so on—eleven Constellations in total had placed their communication orbs there. Where eleven 「crystal orbs」 lay, Song Chien also set down her own orb. At that moment, the eleven spheres began to glow. Her participation was accepted. The communion continued. ∞: What happened to ⁺₊⋆? Though neutral, Song Chien was the oldest of all Constellations. Because of her gentle, grandmotherly personality, she was treated by many like the kind elder who used to tell stories from their childhood. ♥: We don’t really know either 😭 ♥: Honestly, that one’s always been a bit unsteady... ♥: You know how it is. Agion’s mental state hasn’t been right ever since Abraxas died. ∞: He seemed fine the last time I saw him. ♥: Sometimes he’s okay, sometimes he’s not. Last time... he felt almost like a dead man. The Life Constellation ♥ could perceive the vitality of living organisms. ∞: Isn’t there any way to stop him? Agion is the most dangerous man to the weak. If we don’t stop him, a lot of people will die. A sharp voice cut in. Not everyone loves the grandma. Especially not someone who had once been scolded for being a boy dressing like a girl. †: Unlike you, we have things to lose. Who exactly is supposed to bear the cost here? ∞: Still, we have to do something. †: Is this about that man? Song Chien gave no answer. The social sphere of the Constellations was small. Quite a few of them already knew: Song Chien had recently taken interest in a certain human professor. †: That professor of yours happens to have our Order’s next Cardinal nominee by his side. And we’re not in a position to intervene now. Agion’s refusing all contact. †: I’m frustrated too. But for now, watch. We might be standing at a crucial fork in the road. †: Park Dominic Opus. Song Chien raised her middle finger at the orb engraved with the cross (†). That’s how kids curse these days, isn’t it? And yet, even as she cursed, her heart began to stir at the thought of that mortal. While Constellations, when they meet their end, are embraced by the stars... mortals disappear forever when they die. ‘...This is why I never wanted to get involved with mortals again.’ To live eternally means to bid farewell eternally. Song Chien, too, knew just how cruel and dangerous Agion could be. The exaggerated light filling the night sky shattered. That divine-like presence grew slightly dull. Balmung recalled what Dante had said. Before Agion arrived, when they were still preparing for the fight—Professor had explained. He’d talked about the man’s strengths and weaknesses, and how to bring him down. And after hearing that, Agion had started to feel like a colossal beast. Like Bomiteka. But when that man descended onto the deck as if wrapped in light, that idea was shaken again. As the magical pressure thickened, his body once again threatened to buckle. His breath caught in his chest. Could something like that truly be called human? And yet, Balmung managed to hold his stance. Because of the shadow standing before him. The shadow of Dante Hiakapo. “Aren’t you supposed to be busy training, Professor? What brings you here?” The one to speak first was Fleetmaster Falcon. Agion opened his mouth. “My old friend. I do not wish to fight you.” His voice was slow, like wind brushing against reeds. “...Your words and your mana don’t quite match. Did the Constellation come here to covet my wealth?” “The end of the world is near. At such a time, private property is excessive.” “...The end of the world? That’s a rather sudden thing to say, isn’t it?” “There have been omens, more than once. Failing to foresee them is proof of one’s lack of worthiness.” Agion slowly scanned the crowd. That languid gaze passed over many, until it settled on one man. “I’ll explain it only once.” And then his voice grew louder. “Think of this world as a small territory. Monsters are pouring in from distant lands—but there are only thirty-three soldiers. In that situation, the rotting money in a rich man’s pocket is meaningless.” “And what are those monsters?” “...Ha! You don’t even know, and yet you come here pointing a sword at the wealthy? You’re completely insane, Radiant Constellation!” “No. It’s not that I don’t know.” Agion’s face was calm. Leisurely. Or was it arrogance? Whatever it was, there was no wavering in him. “It’s designed so that the world cannot know.” At that, Falcon growled. “Enough of this madness! Get off my ship. If you don’t, as the adult responsible for these children, as the owner of this vessel—I’ll have no choice but to oppose you!” He too, as a [Challenger], exuded a vicious killing intent. Even with a hundred soldiers, one might kneel before such overwhelming force. But what does a tiger’s roar mean before a towering mountain? “Even if you oppose me...” Agion reached out toward the crowd. His fingertip pointed toward a single sailor. “I still do not wish to fight you.” The sailor’s body burst into light and exploded. Blood splattered across everyone present. It wasn’t some supernatural ability. It was just raw mana imbued with Stigma. And that alone crushed the man like an ant. “Will you still choose to fight?” “If it’s not enough, I’ll ask again.” At a flick of his hand, another body exploded. “Iden!” “I—Iden!!” The sailors shouted in grief at the death of a longtime comrade. “Still?” Thıs text ıs hosted at 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝✶𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖✶𝕟𝕖𝕥 One after another, the sailors he pointed at exploded. At that, Falcon drew his sword and charged with a roar, flinging himself toward Agion. Wreathed in light, Agion leapt through space and appeared mid-air. “Will you still continue? Is this pointless battle really necessary?” Falcon bared his fangs. “You bastard, I’ll rip you apart... how dare you...” Born and raised in the far northern edge of the continent—the Northern Great Forest—Falcon was a barbarian by origin. He was especially sensitive when it came to the concept of family. “Agion. You’re spewing nothing but sophistry! You’re just a monster, obsessed with gathering strength because you can’t bear weakness!” “That too is a part of me.” “No! That’s all you are. A weakling who never escaped his master’s shadow!” “That’s not true. Tell me, Falcon... do you think I need a reason to persuade you?” Agion raised his hand, his tone growing bored. “I’ll continue. So you decide where this ends.” His fingertip moved to point at another sailor. “...W-what!? F-Fleetmaster!!” As the sailor—who had just witnessed the death of his crewmate—screamed in panic... Startled, the man started patting his own body—then realized a shadow had fallen before him and slowly looked up. At some point, Professor Dante had stepped in front of him. Agion’s eyes narrowed. “...So it’s you. The one they say took Peacemaker†—Dante Hiakapo?” All eyes turned to him. Just earlier, he’d seemed like an impressive figure for subduing the Skyspawn, but now... something about him felt different. Even standing face-to-face with a god, he showed no signs of fear. “I never brought Peacemaker†.” “...Don’t lie. I’ve already confirmed it back at Goldenfield. Back when you criticized me, I wondered where your confidence came from—but that level of mastery isn’t bad.” “Goldenfield? What’s that? Never heard of it.” As the professor continued spouting nonsense— One sailor screamed, “You said you had it earlier...!” while Gray muttered to herself, “Is he sleep-deprived and losing it...?” “I’ll ask just one thing. Professor Dante Hiakapo. Where did you learn to interfere with that [Illusion]?” “I don’t take lessons.” “...I’ve heard there’s a top illusion professor in Hiaka. Was that you? Are you the one who created that giant tree?” “...Then how could someone who’s just a human dare interfere with my illusion?” “For a Constellation, your instincts are dull. I never interfered with your illusion in the first place.” The conversation spiraled deeper into nonsense. ‘???’ The sailors were visibly confused. Agion, annoyed, furrowed his brow and identified the source of “that thing.” An illusion construct packed with denial formulas—an ultra-high-grade, forged personality. And at that moment, Agion burst out laughing so hard he tore at his cheek. The forged “Dante” shattered into pieces. One of the 「Spectrometers」 Agion had ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) pre-deployed in the sky shattered. The massive 20-meter glass pillar exploded into falling shards. At the same moment, three figures who had destroyed it revealed themselves—Glory, Elize, and Kendreik. They had been waiting for Dante’s signal the entire time. Because Agion’s perception had been spread across the space so widely. Even a beast can’t look behind itself with a magnifying glass in front of its eye. “False Dante” had been a deeply layered [Illusion Construct], and even Agion had to momentarily withdraw his spatial senses to analyze it. They struck in that exact window—shattering the Spectrometer. At that moment, a distant warmth rippled through the air. A shallow heat that gently pressed against their skin. It meant the neutral “Blazing Constellation of Flame” was en route—fulfilling his duty as contracted insurance. Agion stared blankly in that direction, then slowly regained composure, his body once again wrapping in light. “You are the ones who chose a pointless battle.” His entire body began to glow. Slowly. From the tips of his limbs, the light climbed upward—reaching his cheeks. And with his final remaining eye, he looked at Dante and said, “You will pay the price.” The Legion of Radiant Constellation was a unit of knights riding on white wyverns. As Agion ascended wrapped in light, dozens of knights clad in gold-plated armor burst through magic circles in the air. With the wyverns roaring, the knights descended with maddened fury toward the fleet. “Fire! Bring down Agion and the knights!” BOOM! BOOM-BOOM-BOOM! The mana cannons roared to life, and armed sailors charged to intercept the Radiant Constellation’s forces. But the battle was a one-sided slaughter. As soon as it began, waves of sailors were swept away. In the chaos, Dante’s assassination squad also began to move—but Agion made the first move. Bringing his palms together, he then spread his arms wide. Light condensed and stretched out, forming a massive 12-meter bow. Far, far in the sky—roughly 4,000 meters away. Human mana loses effectiveness past 3,500 meters. But Agion, from 500 meters beyond that, began drawing on the power of his Stigma. 『Flashpiercer Radiant Bow』 At the tip of the bow, an arrow of light formed—like a colossal harpoon—and shot through one of the airships, obliterating it, then pierced straight through the next in the formation. “What kind of monster is that...?!” The sailors stood slack-jawed in shock. It was common sense: the farther the distance, the weaker the attack. But to land such a powerful [snipe] from that range? At that moment, each member of Dante’s squad remembered exactly what he had told them. ‘His main strength lies in [Illusion]. It’s overwhelming, powerful. I’ll handle that myself.’ ‘His support classes are [Sniper] and [Totem].’ ‘He uses rare [Totems] to amplify mana. That’s what the “Spectrometer” is for.’ ‘Once the battle begins, he’ll build Spectrometers. Then he’ll defend them. And he’ll keep adding more.’ ‘In that situation, Agion can engage in an unfair trade. We’re forced to destroy the Spectrometers—but he can kill us with sniping from far away.’ ‘Even so, we must. The moment there are three Spectrometers, we can no longer win.’ And just as Dante had predicted, Agion had begun creating more Spectrometers using Totems. As the vertical glass columns formed, the knights of the Radiant Constellation—bathed in that light—began to double in size.