Chapter 77: Chapter 152 – One’s End, Another’s Beginning

Waiting a moment for Radir to appear by their side again, Asterios tried his best to capture the ecstatic demon’s attention by inserting himself into his path. Thankfully, Radir wasn’t completely oblivious to his surroundings and stopped before crashing into him while spinning joyfully.

“Yes?” Radir raised a brow at Asterios, noticing his uncertain expression.

“Sorry for interrupting your fun but I do have a question. Regarding this place, nonetheless.”

The crimson-skinned man showed a wide smile. “Shoot, then! Just be aware that I might not know the perfect answer. We’ve just arrived here and I have so much research to do!”

“It might be connected to whatever is stored in this chamber, actually. I was wondering if you would mind lending us a hand with the issue currently occupying my head,” Asterios said, tapping the side of his forehead.

“Ah. The seal. Pardon me, I got a tad too excited.” Radir smiled wryly and quickly fixed his clothes. “Whatever you need, just ask. I promised to help and I will keep my word. Especially now, after you showed me this vault full of treasures!”

Miria giggled as he spun around once more, spreading his arms wide.

~Don’t you think he resembles someone we know?~ Selene suddenly asked her mentally.

~Hm? Who?~ Miria turned her face towards her friend.

~I don’t know. Perhaps a certain Pantherkin girl whenever Master brings up another story from his world.~

A heavy blush surfaced on Miria’s cheeks, making the mature lady chuckle softly. She couldn’t deny it now. She knew she grew a little too excited whenever something fascinating was involved. Only now had she started realizing how silly she must have looked each time.

Meanwhile, Asterios began explaining to Radir about the possibility of the person who had put a lock on his memories being the same person who lived in this secret dwelling. He mentioned how Umbra had noticed familiar details in the magical formation carved in the ground in the middle of the room, which were also present in Ast’s mind.

The shadowy familiar joined the conversation and the three of them talked a bit about the details both Asterios and Umbra could share before they dug deeper. They ended up retelling some of Ast’s adventures and unusual events from the recent past. The others curiously explored the room during those few minutes.

“Hmmm…” Radir rubbed his smooth chin. “This already sounds unimaginably complex from everything you have told me…”

~It’s anything but easy and simple. I can vouch for that,~ Umbra replied.

“I know, I know. Before we try anything, I’ll need to study both the seal blocking your memories and the array on the floor. And, be very, very careful with the first one, recalling Grea’s warning. Don’t worry. You’ll get my full attention. The books can wait. Which one do we start with?”

Asterios thought about it for a moment and made a quick decision after looking at the girls curiously probing around the room.

“Let’s start with my head. It’s definitely the tougher part. After we finish, I’ll take everyone else to explore this section while you work on the formation here. Fewer distractions for you.”

Radir nodded in agreement. “Solid plan. Let’s get to it, then. It would be better if I had some of my things with me but I think I should manage. Worst case, I’ll end up with a fried brain, hahaha.”

A wry smile snuck onto Ast’s lips as the fearless man laughed heartily. Radir definitely didn’t lack courage and boldness. Perhaps that was the reason behind his success and fame, without mentioning the not-so-proud parts of it.

Asterios relayed their intentions to the girls through their bond and they further informed Svertaniel and Silvia about what was to come. No one had any qualms with the chosen direction and the two men moved to an unobstructed piece of the floor.

To make things easier, Umbra lent them a hand and aided the process of connecting Ast’s and Radir’s minds as perfectly as it was achievable. After Asterios was ready, Radir entered his consciousness similar to how Miria had in the past at the very beginning of their journey together.

Deciding to convey all the information regarding Ast’s experiences better, Umbra and Asterios guided the demon man through the latter's memories and slowed down around the parts that could be of any use to him. Images certainly carried more detail than just words.

After a few moments, they reached the furthest point and stopped right in front of what looked like an unending wall of ominous, crimson sigils and symbols woven between erratic magical formations.

Radir shivered when he saw it from up close as excitement filled his very being. He almost forgot himself and touched the mesmerizing patterns but got ahold of his self-control quickly enough to prevent that.

Pushing away his rising awe, he immediately got to work and did his best to get as much as possible from this seal without interacting with it or affecting it in any way. For what felt like half an hour, Radir examined the magical barricade to the tiniest detail, the smallest symbol.

Afterward, he pulled out of Ast's mind with Umbra’s help and the two men opened their eyes in the outside world, sitting on their knees right in front of each other.

“I must admit, this thing is beyond anything I’ve seen, experienced, or read about,” Radir began. “Except for the legendary or mythic stuff. As much as I would like to believe it, the rational part of my brain convinces me that there’s no chance Eyla could have reached such a level. It might truly be the work of the person you mentioned.”

“Do you think you can do something about it?” Asterios asked anxiously.

“I can’t guarantee anything. But, I don’t feel exactly hopeless in front of it. Especially with your help in deciphering that fierce script. Without that, I’m sure I wouldn’t be able to even approach this seal.”

“Anything else you might need?”

Radir shook his head. “No, thank you. I’ll now focus on the formation your familiar pointed out so you guys are free. Although, if you leave Umbra with me, I’ll be able to contact you quickly if something comes up or I finish.”

“No problem. As long as Umbra doesn’t mind, of course.”

A deep shadow ominously coiled around Radir’s arm and reached his shoulder. Umbra’s raven form materialized on top of it and he stared at the demon man’s face with his misty purple eye.

~Not in the slightest. I think that’s a wise move. In case more of your help is necessary, Master, I’ll be able to pass it on to your friend’s father.~

“Great. I’ll leave you two to it, then. And please, don’t take unnecessary risks. The answers will come one day. They aren’t more valuable than your life, Radir. Grea might not act like it, but the death of her father is the last thing she needs at the moment.”

A more serious and somber expression took over Radir’s face as he sighed heavily. “She’s still not over it, is she?”

Asterios shook his head, making Radir sigh again. “Why don’t you talk to her more?”

“It’s better this way. Each time, I just fuck up even more and make it worse,” Radir admitted with a nervous chuckle. “But, she has you now, at least. So thank you. For looking after her. Being there for her.”

For a few seconds, they just stared at each other in silence as Radir showed a faint but genuine smile, very much different from all the previous ones. 

Asterios took a deep breath, placed his palm on the demon man’s shoulder, and nodded, which was reciprocated with a slightly bigger smile from Grea’s father.

“Alright! Enough of that shit! We have a seal to crack!” Radir suddenly changed back to his usual tone and began warming up his shoulder as he stood up.

Fully agreeing with him, Asterios raised himself too and walked towards the spot where the others currently were. He found them by the massive, wooden desk, shuffling casually through the scattered notes and sorting them as precisely as they could.

“Are you done talking, Master?” Miria turned to him and smiled adorably as her tail made happy dances.

Asterios scratched behind her fluffy ear and nodded. “For now, yes. Let’s not disturb Radir and see what other things we can find here besides this secret room. I’m pretty sure it’s not the only meaningful thing in this section.”

“Right. There was a third corridor here before Silvia erased it from existence, fufufu~” Selene joined in with a mischievous smile.

“Sorry,” the princess apologized again.

“She’s just teasing you. Don’t take it too seriously,” Asterios explained, trying to reassure her a little. “Everyone coming or we split again?”

“I suggest we group up this time,” Svertaniel said. “That way, we won’t have to look for each other when it’s time to go back.”

“I agree. Found anything interesting while I was gone?” Asterios glanced at his familiars and mates.

“We can confirm fairly confidently that it was the same person living here as back under the temple,” Selene answered. “The notes and other writings are closely similar to those from there.”

“There’s no sign of someone else adding to them like Kaguya did, Master,” Miria continued after her. “Personally, I don’t think that person was as close with the Founding Ancestors as he was with her.”

“That’s certainly a possibility.” Asterios nodded at them. “And it’s all Sealing Magic like Radir said?”

Silvia stepped forward. “I might not be an expert in it but I can recognize some of it and there’s no doubt about that. It seems quite extensive. And additionally, it does seem to focus on the draconic aspect to some extent.”

“So, just like back there, huh.” Asterios nodded to himself. “Anyway, let’s see what’s outside first.”

They moved out as a group, leaving through the non-existent wall which had been completely disintegrated by Silvia’s attack. To assume some order on their sightseeing trip, they agreed to start from the point the closest to the central chamber with the three exits.

Amongst the various rooms scattered around, they found a bunch of utility-based ones, like a kitchen mess, storages adjacent to it, big and open living rooms, a gym area with a training segment right next to it, equipped with targets and practice dolls, and many more.

It certainly seemed to look like a full-blown house hidden under the Ring City, perhaps even older than the town itself considering the fact that the Founding Ancestors had lived here at a certain point. That part wasn’t covered by any shadows of doubt after they found various traces of the three demons living here, alongside Red, most likely.

But, what caught everyone’s attention the most was a tall, golden double gate. It wasn’t decorated with anything resembling the one in the girls’ realm and didn’t give any magical vibes so they assumed it was just a normal but fancier entrance to some chamber.

That chamber proved to be a vault.

After Miria and Selene pushed the heavy doors inside, they revealed a decently-sized room with rows of pedestals and glass showcases. Tapestries in the colors of the founders covered the walls and plenty of paintings depicting each of them—or all together—took the leftover space.

“That’s quite a lot of artifacts.” Asterios whistled as he roamed his gaze over the displays.

“This must be some special collection belonging to the people you spoke of, right?” Bryn asked as they slowly walked inside.

“Definitely,” Svertaniel confirmed. “This much is actually quite humble considering how big figures Eyla, Nyra, and Drahan were. These might be more sentimental than powerful or extremely valuable.”

“What do you plan on doing with them?” Silvia turned to Asterios.

“Me?” He raised his brows at her.

“Yeah. You are the leader, aren’t you? And we could only get in here thanks to you. Plus, those people seem connected to you, aren’t they?”

Asterios chuckled a little. “The owner of that secret room, maybe, but the demons, I don’t think so. I would feel bad stealing from them. What do you think about it, Svertaniel?”

“This is certainly a huge find. It’s been decades since our race discovered anything new about the Founding Ancestors. Who knows what we could learn about them from these keepsakes and this place in general.”

“Right. I thought so too. It is kind of located right underneath the Ring City and was locked behind a puzzle related to the founding trio. We would be robbing the demon race of their cultural inheritance, potentially. Besides, I’m honestly almost exclusively interested in Red’s things anyway.” Asterios shared his thoughts.

“Well, I don’t think anyone would mind or even know if we took a thing or two as a reward for clearing the trials, right?” Svertaniel smiled at the others. “If it was anyone else, they would surely usurp their right to everything in here.”

“Hmmm… I guess that’s true. What after, though?”

“We can let people know about our discovery, no?” Miria tilted her head next to Asterios.

“I don’t think that’s the best choice,” Silvia replied. “That could end badly, with everyone rushing here and fighting over this place.”

“I agree,” Svertaniel nodded. “I think we should let the Demon King know first. The current one is a sensible person, he will surely know how to best approach it.”

“We don’t even know if others can enter this place after us. If the entrance remains open after we’ve solved it, there’s not much we can do to prevent them from leaking in,” Asterios added.

“I would worry much more about the well-being of those,” Bryn joined in. “I don’t think the trials were that easy, even though we took down the Golem for good.”

Everyone thought for a moment and nodded to her words. In the end, they could only speculate until they returned to the surface and checked for themselves, or stumbled on someone who would reach them this deep in the underground vault.

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“Let’s discuss this later with Radir present too. He seems to be finishing up back there so we should head back,” Asterios informed the others, receiving a notification from the demon man.

No one objected and they returned to the secret chamber. Right at the lacking wall, they noticed a red glow escaping the room and they curiously peeked inside.

Radir knelt by the big formation on the ground while moving his hands over its various parts. Weak lightning discharges danced around the winding paths and symbols. He must have successfully activated the magic circle.

“You are here. Great. I think I got the grasp of it,” he called out to them with a smile and stood up. “We can try now. No promises about anything. I only scratched the surface but it should be enough to at least check.”

Asterios approached him and everyone else moved aside to give them more space to work with. Just in case, both Selene and Bryn were ready to bring up shields or other protective techniques. One could never be too prepared. Especially with anything related to Asterios.

Radir instructed him to lie down on top of the formation on his back and knelt outside of the circle again. He took control of it with his mana and the crackling red lightning began prickling Ast’s body, without any physical sensation, only tickling his spiritual circuits.

Thankfully, the energy didn’t feel uncomfortable. Quite the opposite. It felt similar to his own, to some extent. It felt familiar, yet distant. Something he couldn’t exactly grasp in his mind but that was possibly due to his locked memories confusing his body.

“Ready?” Radir asked.

Asterios gave him a thumbs up and relaxed his mind. A moment later, he felt a similar speeding wave rushing through his memories like the one he had experienced in the volcano realm but much less painful and better-paced.

It stopped in front of the seal instead of crashing into it and he could feel Radir starting to interact with the crimson wall of death. He could literally see it in his mind, watching how another wall of crimson red symbols appeared in front of it and sent out smoke-like energy towards it.

The sight of two immensely complex formations connecting to each other with numerous streaks of scarlet mist was a sight to behold. But, Asterios didn’t get to admire it for long as the original seal suddenly pulsed ferociously, making a powerful wave of blazing energy roll through his mind.

He felt a weird push, then pull, and something expanded. The last sensation repeated a number of times, alongside the explosions of spiritual energy. He couldn’t see it, but his body released surges of aura in sync with them, hitting everyone present in the room like sea waves during a fierce storm.

This continued for about three minutes until the formation crackled much stronger and more visibly. Asterios suddenly curled into himself in pain, groaning loudly. Miria wanted to jump in but was fortunately stopped by Selene. Their best bet was not to interfere in what they didn’t understand.

Radir hastily drained power from the array, disabling its specific parts one by one until the entire thing faded out, leaving just the roughly breathing Asterios with any remaining glow. The crimson sparks still sporadically jumped over his whole body.

Staring intently at the demon man, Miria waited anxiously. After finally meeting his gaze and receiving a nod, she shot forward, followed by Selene right behind her. The beastfolk duo dropped onto the ground by Asterios and looked at him from above.

He chuckled seeing their concern and moved his hands to their cheeks, brushing over their soft skin with his thumbs.

“I’m fine. I honestly expected worse. You good out there, Radir?”

“Drained but otherwise yes. Sorry. I don’t think I got all of it down. At best, it was pushed back by a bit,” Radir replied, also breathing heavily. “Operating an unknown formation while basing on a bunch of notes, assumptions, and personal experience just can’t bring better results.”

“All good. I’m glad it actually worked to any extent.”

Miria helped Asterios sit up and he left a peck on her forehead. “Thank you. Don’t worry so much. I’m okay.”

She smiled at him sweetly and looked between Asterios and Selene. The fox lady had a warm smile on her lips too.

“So, did we gain anything from this, my Lord?” Selene asked.

“I can already tell that I remember a bit more but it’s extremely unclear after a bunch of new memories suddenly popped back into existence. Umbra?”

~Here, Master.~ The shadowy raven materialized on his shoulder.

“Care for a little help?”

~With pleasure. Should I bring the others with me?~

“Just those connected with me. Sorry,” he replied, glancing at the others.

“Don’t be.” Silvia smiled at him softly. “We can hear about whatever you deem proper for us to know. You don’t need to share all your secrets with us, right?”

After a wave of vocal and non-vocal agreements, Asterios thanked everyone and dove into his mind alongside Umbra and his other summons.

~How should we approach it?~ the Lord of Shadows inquired.

~Let’s not make it any more confusing. Start from the furthest point you can access. The seal is still there, right?~

~Correct. Here we go then.~

 

※※※

 

Strong wind hissed by Ast’s ears. At first, he had a tough time understanding where he was and what was happening but he soon recognized the night sky with all the sparkling stars above. It was slightly obstructed by a bluish tint he felt some familiarity with. It resembled Selene’s aura, to an extent, if she were to surround herself with it.

“I still think we should just use one of our hideouts instead of looking around like this,” a powerful but ladylike voice spoke just above him.

A deep, manly grunt somewhere from the side answered it. “Those will be the first places they search for after learning that I’m still alive. It won’t be hard to locate the powerful energy coming from all the protective magic, especially if his own aura mixes with it.”

“You took care of it, though? That’s why we sealed his Dragon’s Heart, and even his memories just in case they would force its reawakening.”

“Even my seal can’t stop his energy from leaking out. The smallest amount is enough for the mana in the safehouse to respond to it, turning the place into a glowing beacon with him completely unable to control it. I would have never expected him to turn out like this. This is the safest option. And the best we can do for him.”

Asterios finally realized what was happening. A woman of dazzling beauty held him in her arms as a newborn. He recognized her from the painting in Miria’s and Selene’s realm. It wasn’t possible to mistake her for someone else.

They soared through the night sky towards somewhere while surrounded by blue spiritual energy. Right by Kaguya’s side, another cluster of condensed mana accompanied her, this time, of a dark crimson color. As expected, Red was in its middle, looking ahead with a neutral expression.

Suddenly, they stopped. He immediately understood why.

“This place will be good,” the man said calmly.

“Finally. I agree. I don’t sense anything special about it. It’s as normal as it could get. What now?” the woman glanced at him.

Red turned his head to the side, towards the road running off into the distance, and his draconic eyes flashed briefly.

“Change in plans. If we hurry, we might make it even safer for him.”

Kaguya nodded and they both descended towards a small village just by the path. Asterios watched them drop onto the ground in the middle of Teira without much care for all the onlookers, who were surprised to see two figures fall from the sky like it was their everyday thing.

The man looked around with his gaze piercing past the crowd and scanned the whole town in a flash. “There.”

Kaguya grabbed his wrist and the world blurred for a moment after a bright blue flash. They appeared in front of a house Asterios immediately recognized. It was the house Kindra had found him in and the same one they had visited not that long ago with Miria and Selene.

Walking first, Red approached the door and knocked on it. After a moment, a middle-aged woman opened it.

His eyes flashed with crimson again and she immediately dropped onto one knee. Asterios could tell that she was extremely confused by her action but didn’t speak of it nor move. Perhaps she couldn’t.

He passed her without much thought and Kaguya followed. They navigated towards one of the rooms, confusing the other residents greatly. But, the moment Red glanced at them, they all repeated the woman’s motion.

Entering what looked like someone’s bedroom, they stopped in the middle and nodded at each other. Red reached out to his neck and tore a single dark crimson scale off it after causing it to show up on his skin, handing it to Kaguya.

“This should be enough.”

She nodded again and passed Asterios to him. For a few seconds, their eyes met as the man stared down at him in his baby form. He didn’t feel much from Red’s gaze. It was calm, neutral, and definitely powerful.

Ast’s small head turned to the side when blue light flashed by his side. Kaguya had enveloped her hand in spiritual energy and formed claws. She swiped it towards the floor, still from high above, and a spiritual hand shot at the wooden panels.

It passed through without damaging them and then popped into existence back in front of her, with a handful of stone which she threw aside. With another flash, the scale disappeared from Kaguya’s other hand.

“My part is finished,” she exclaimed.

Red nodded, handed Asterios to her, and snapped his fingers. A wave of powerful energy burst out from his body once, escaping into the distance. Somehow, Asterios could tell that that energy stopped not that far from their position, forming a barrier around the edges of the town.

Then, something inconceivable happened. 

More scales began surfacing on Red's skin as stupid amounts of spiritual energy in the form of crimson mist surrounded him. It began expanding more than the room could fit and soon destroyed the ceiling.

To not squish Kaguya with his enlarging form, Red launched himself into the air to complete the transformation there. In a blink, a giant, majestic, but extremely ferocious-looking True Dragon appeared in the sky, obviously, with dark crimson scales.

Kaguya moved closer to the spot she had sent her spiritual hand into and knelt on the ground. Then, Red landed on top of the house. He released an earth-shaking roar into the sky and took a deep breath, reeling his neck to the back.

Without ever experiencing it even once, Asterios knew exactly what was coming.

A merciless inferno of scarlet flames was launched right into the village, engulfing entire houses and other buildings on its path. Screams instantly filled the air as numerous people reacted to their friends or relatives losing their lives faster than they could blink.

Asterios watched how the Dragon rained fire all around the house, meticulously covering every tiniest part of the village, leaving no speck of dust untouched. In seconds, the entire town was set ablaze and partially razed to the ground.

Red finished breathing fire and returned to his humanoid form, jumping down to meet Kaguya in the burning house as he hadn’t spared even this one from his violent flames. A beam broke off the remaining part of the ceiling and fell towards them but he quickly caught it with his bare hand.

Kaguya then lay Asterios above the spot she had dug up and backed away. They both looked at him once more and the man lowered the beam onto Asterios, leaving soon after.

He thought that would be the end of it since he reached the point he already remembered, but he still caught the conversation happening between the duo as they stood outside of the burning house, slightly obstructed by the crackling fire.

“A caravan will reach this place in about twenty minutes. I’ll need you to use your sound transmission techniques when that happens,” the man said.

“No sweat. Let’s wait in the air, then.”

Red grunted in confirmation. “I’ll come here later, alone, to make sure no traces of our spiritual energy escape this place. And to set up some countermeasures in case a Dragon would arrive here for whatever reason.”

And so, they took off a moment later and Asterios began leaving the world of his memories, returning to reality.

 

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