"Waaah! He's gotten even stronger." Anakitty murmured in awe, her gaze locked onto the sky.
She was still a Level 1 rookie, brought here only because her seniors thought it would be a good chance to gain some experience. She never expected the one sent to reinforce them would be him.
Akira, nicknamed "Morning Star", who was often seen playfully tagging along with Ais. But then again, it made sense. After all, Riveria and Ais were both quite close to him.
She'd even heard rumors not long ago that this rising star had broken through yet another bottleneck and reached Level 3 at an astonishing speed. The news had sent shockwaves through the entire city of Orario.
Leveling up so quickly? Was this guy even human? Did he come here just to make everyone else feel bad?
Even the threat posed by evilus suddenly seemed less urgent compared to the pressure of keeping up with a monster like him.
And now, this same Akira was unleashing a spectacular offensive in front of her very eyes, and once again, Aki couldn't help but admire his overwhelming strength, far beyond what a Level 3 should be capable of.
Hovering in the air like a divine being, Akira cut a dazzling figure that made it hard to look away.
At her side, Alicia looked around in confusion. She couldn't understand why everyone was watching with sparkling eyes, faces full of reverence.
"Eh? Why is everyone acting like they know him? Can someone fill me in?"
The moment those words left her mouth, every member of the Loki familia turned toward her with wide-eyed disbelief, like she'd just crawled out of a dungeon from the old ages.
Their expressions screamed "Are you serious right now?"
Embarrassed and frustrated, Alicia shouted, "W-Why are you all looking at me like that!?"
The others quickly returned their gazes to the sky, continuing to marvel at the overwhelming display of force playing out in front of them.
Anakitty leaned over and whispered in Alicia's ear, "Senpai… don't tell me you don't know? That boy is the legendary Morning Star."
It was strange, really. Akira had visited Loki Familia's base, the Twilight Manor, many times. But somehow, Alicia had managed to miss him every single time, either because she was out shopping or holed up in her room. She hadn't even caught a glimpse of him. Even Anakitty had shared a few words with Akira before.
"Morning Star of the Astraea Familia? So it's him." Alicia murmured softly.
She had never seen Akira in person, but Riveria often brought him up in their private conversations. And every time Akira's name came up, Riveria's voice would unconsciously soften, filled with affection and subtle admiration.
It made Alicia feel incredibly jealous. So much so, in fact, that she'd often tuned out whenever Akira was mentioned, not wanting to hear more.
As the group exchanged whispers and glances, Akira suddenly shifted his posture midair. His sharp eyes scanned the battlefield below. The remaining monsters had grouped together in an area away from any valuable farmland.
Perfect.
At that moment, three magic circles of differing colors began to converge above Akira's head.
Each one radiated immense energy, ice, wind, and light. A massive greatsword slowly took shape.
Ice element molded its form. Wind element accelerated its motion. And light element imbued it with devastating strength.
Shrouded in misty frost, howling gales, and crackling bolts of lightning, the towering sword released an oppressive aura that silenced the crowd.
"Wait, did he mess up his spell?" Someone muttered, astonished.
"Go." Akira pressed his index and middle fingers together and pointed toward the monsters.
In the next instant, the massive blade shot forth like a divine judgment.
Sensing the overwhelming pressure, the monsters panicked and tried to flee but it was already far too late. Even the beast tamer from evilus was stunned in terror. He instinctively turned to run, but his legs refused to move.
As if rooted to the ground, all he could do was watch helplessly as the massive sword bore down on him.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Thunder cracked across the battlefield. The impact shredded the air, cleaved the ground, and utterly annihilated everything in its path.
Dust and smoke surged into the sky, blinding everyone's vision. Only the streaks of lightning piercing through the haze could still be seen, flickering like divine wrath from the heavens.
And when the dust finally settled, all that remained of the monsters' formation was a scorched wasteland littered with smoldering corpses.
Silence.
Even Riveria, usually composed to the point of being unshakable, had a flicker of astonishment in her eyes.
"This child really does exceed all expectations." She murmured.
Alicia's jaw dropped. "Th-This is insane. Je's too strong…"
Ais' eyes sparkled as she watched Akira descend slowly from the sky like a celestial being.
Meanwhile, deep within the forest, far from the chaos.
The twin sisters of the Alecto familia, Dina and Vena, watched the battlefield with wide eyes, their playful expressions gone. That attack had rattled even their twisted hearts.
"Sister, I think we should leave." Vena whispered with rare seriousness.
"Mhm."
With the monsters obliterated, their bait role was over. There was no reason to linger and they still had their own goals to pursue. Lingering here any longer would only endanger their lives.
The sisters turned away in unison, silently retreating into the forest's shadows.
Back on the battlefield.
Akira caught sight of some burning crops and couldn't suppress the fury building in his heart.
As a self-proclaimed flower grower, watching the farmland burn made his blood boil.
He raised his hand. Gentle rain began to fall from the sky, extinguishing the smoldering flames. And the moment his foot touched the ground, a golden flash dashed toward him.
"Akira! I missed you so much!"
Ais practically flew into his arms, wrapping herself around him tightly like a kitten who'd finally found her favorite warmth.
Akira had been busy recently, evilus activity, personal responsibilities, and chaotic unrest. The two of them hadn't had time to meet in what felt like forever.
Caught off guard by her sudden leap, Akira stumbled slightly but then a gentle smile spread across his face.
He wrapped one arm around her and softly patted her back. "I missed you too, Ais."
Riveria, ever the tactful one, turned around to give them space and issued orders without interfering with their reunion.
"Raul, Aki, go contact Demeter Familia and see if they need any assistance."
"Understood!" The two replied, though their voices held a trace of frustration. They'd really wanted to ask Akira about that insane sword move just now.
Still, an order was an order. They reluctantly left.
Watching their backs as they departed, Riveria nodded, then turned back toward Akira and Ais. By now, Ais had finally let go of him, her face filled with happiness.
Akira smiled, raising a hand and gently patting her on the head.
"You've grown a little taller, haven't you?" He said.
"Really? Hmm… Has Akira grown taller too?" Ais asked with innocent curiosity.
Akira chuckled. "Yeah."
It had been a long time since he'd heard her soft voice up close like this.
Ais suddenly tiptoed, mimicking his earlier gesture. She wanted to pat his head, just like he did to her. But even on her toes, she could only barely reach his cheek.
Akira burst into laughter at her adorable effort and leaned down slightly so she could reach properly.