The moment it occurred, those in the surroundings were shocked as the figure of Rose became enraged and erupted with sky-piercing green flames.
Which bitch was trying to die today?!
That was the singular thought blazing through Rose's mind as she watched the veil of darkness erupt and swallow Achilles entirely.
Her body ignited in response- a towering phoenix of illusions and flames blazing into existence as she surged into the skies. The solid stars floating above her head pulsed with gravity and power, resonating with the fury in her core.
The Limited Assimilation coursing through her body granted her terrifying might. And she knew- knew with complete certainty that even the dark barrier cast around Achilles could be shattered by a single punch from her.
And just as she was about to strike…
His voice, familiar and calm, rang right beside her ears.
She paused. Not because she believed he was in danger, she knew how powerful he was- but because she had still wanted to tear down that barrier. That woman had cast it too brazenly, too boldly, in the immediate aftermath of battle.
Who the fuck did she think she was?
Doing it for privacy? Maybe. But Rose despised that even more than she would an open attack.
Because it meant that, yet again, another woman had shut herself away with her man in an enclosed space.
Still, because he told her to wait, she trusted him.
So she hovered, her terrifying verdant illusory phoenix form still burning brilliantly.
After all, he said wait. He hadn't said she had to extinguish her power.
If some bitch tried to step out of line, Rose would still unleash hell without hesitation.
Inside the enclosed barrier of darkness conjured by Nyxaria Moonveil Lunaris.
Solareth and Myxilith stared toward the Panther, cold and unreadable, as its form shimmered and shrank, folding inward until it returned to the shape of a pale-skinned woman with black hair.
She wore no expression as she looked at Achilles.
Her voice was soft when she spoke.
"Forgive me for the sudden eruption of a contained space. I just wanted a little bit of privacy before you flew off."
"Oh?" Achilles replied evenly, floating as he sat atop Solareth's broad shoulders.
Nyxaria gave a small nod and stepped closer.
"Yes, there are many terrifying transcendent humans wandering the Cenotaph Wild Lands and the thirteen Royal Colony Dynasties. Many are already tied to one dynasty or another. Some are even tethered to the greater force that sits atop all dynasties—the Thrones that rule each, unified in an entity known as the Dynasty Keepers."
She stopped a few meters away. Ready to monologue for who knew how long as Achilles prepared himself. This felt like the beginning of waves of information coming crashing down!
Thrones that ruled them.
And the Dynasty Keepers, a behemoth organization composed of the mightiest powers of the thirteen Dynasties.
"Ancient Ones are already roaming the Cenotaph Wild Lands, and the truly powerful Transcendents are confronting them- each siding with a Dynasty, many being recruited to join the Dynasty Keepers. I am one of the key figures next in line to take the Lunaris Throne. My brothers and sisters are out there too, traveling across cities, tying themselves to powerful Transcendent Humans to champion their causes."
Nyxaria's words were lofty and dangerous. Achilles raised a brow. He didn't believe she was here to recruit him.
Because in those dark, frigid eyes…he sensed something else.
A rage. A hatred. One he recognized from a nightmare not long ago!
"I conjured this veil of darkness not to ask you to fight for me or join my cause to be a Ruler. I couldn't care less for the Lunaris Throne. What I want is power, whether mine or borrowed, to kill someone."
She wasn't here to rally an ally.
She was looking for an assassin.
Achilles regarded her calmly, tapping his fingers on Solareth's armored shoulders.
"And who exactly does someone like you wish to kill? Are you not capable of killing them yourself or using the power of the Lunaris Colony Overseers to do so?"
A Transcendent who wronged her?
Achilles wondered who it was she wished to end, as her silence deepened.
"I can't know the identity of the person you wish to kill?"
She hesitated as she was weighing her words with care. When she finally spoke, her voice was measured.
"I seek to kill someone, as I believe you possess a power that catalyzes the growth of advanced humans. If you're able to do that for me, or if you simply agree to help me kill this person, I will lead you to an Aeonic Treasure that would make even the highest seats of the Royal Colony Dynasties tremble with greed. Something undiscovered by anyone else. Something even those who surpass the level of Ethereal Physiology Masters would covet. I swear this on my life. If you agree, I will reveal the identity of the one who must die."
Her eyes darkened with a hatred cold and sharp, buried deep beneath control.
Achilles was intrigued now, fully.
From the fragmented knowledge in his memory, he knew the hierarchy of power well enough. Even reaching Apex Ethereal Physiology required the forging of nine solid stars. Only then could one draw those stars into their meridians, advancing to the next stage of power...
Dharma Manifestation.
A realm that allowed Ancient Ones to move freely.
And yet, here she was, claiming to have found an Aeonic Treasure that could tempt even those beyond it.
A thick silence filled the air.
Nyxaria Moonveil Lunaris looked at Achilles with eyes that held dark wonders. And yet, her voice remained steady as she answered:
"The Lunaris Throne."
"My father, King Archaon Lunaris. Holder of the Lunaris Throne. One of the High Seats of the Dynasty Keepers…needs to fucking die."
The words that Nyxaria Moonveil Lunaris uttered were shocking to hear, as even Achilles was taken aback.
The one who made her eyes simmer with so much hatred was her father.
This was so drastically different from Achilles himself, who only thought greatly of his father and looked up to him tremendously as at this moment, he carried his father's lineage and rage.
Rage toward the enemies who betrayed him and those who shattered his existence.
And yet, at this moment, he met a woman whose eyes simmered with hatred for her father, to the extent that she asked for him to be killed.
Whether through her own power, that would be augmented and elevated, or someone else's!