Cassiopeia left the conference room unflappable as ever, receiving glares from everybody inside. Nathan had luckily averted disaster by convincing them to stand down; while they were aware of the threat any member of the Almagest posed, they needed information. So much of it. Though it didn't help that as they left the conference room, Duskfire's glare burned holes in the back of the [Compound Myth Armor].

Nathan hid a shudder. He was never used to demonic energy; he wondered how Cheonma felt, knowing there was an actual demon standing in the same room as him.

“You know where you’re going?” asked Nathan as Cassiopeia was walking with no real direction. After all, this wasn't her homeworld.

“I know about your earth,” she answered and continued walking, not bothering to wait for Nathan.

I’m not surprised. About a dozen of people were staring at Nathan, or Cassiopeia specifically. He sensed them and their gazes. More a mixture of confusion and curiosity, but there was one or two set of eyes that had suspicion, alertness. Must’ve been high-rankers. He sighed. I feel more comfortable behind you anyway.

He followed Cassiopeia, hoping no one would try to stop them. So he marched shoulders-high, neck straight, and ready to deflect eyes of any passing generals and Slayers alike.

It’d been years since he had last spoke to Cassiopeia or any member of the Almagest, the few he knew anyhow. Which was just after the Red Gate Expedition over a decade ago, actually—saying that made him feel old.

The Hundred Realms, the Dragon King, Almagest—all names belonging to the same mystery, almost as great as the 2012 Mass Disappearance. He had little information about all three subjects. For the latter-most especially, their existence had terrified the Global Guards. Every Constellation was completely disconnected from the Slayer System; meaning it was impossible to track them, monitor them, or even know that they exist in the first place. Not to mention their strength...

Nathan had first met the Almagest when he encountered the Seventy-Third Constellation, Draco, about a year after the Crisis was officially declared, in a random expedition. For twelve hours straight they had fought, and by the end Draco remained and Nathan submitted. He was impossible to defeat.

This had led Nathan to believe that every member was at least an S or even an SS-Rank in strength. As a result, the General of the Otherguards had ordered high-rankers to always be on alert, and if necessary, subjugate them. Since the Great Crisis was long over, any member of the Almagest was to be detained if they show up in this world once more due to the possible threat they posed to humanity.

Only high-rankers and top officials knew the existence of the Almagest and any fine details regarding the Red Gate Expedition. Any information was considered top secret as it dealt with worldly security (obviously). For the public, all they were told was that Red Gate’s success would end the Crisis, and it had.

Most knew Helodrake Aethfell as “the Dragon King” because the System registered him as such; only those who collaborated closely with the Constellations had the “privilege” of knowing his real name, being forced to keep it a secret. It’d been a distasteful condition because already, their leader had ordered only three members to cooperate with the Global Guards.

The Seventy-Third Constellation, the Legion Commander, Draco; the Thirty-First Constellation, the Expansive Watchman, Triangulum; and the Fifth Constellation, the Frostbitten Harridan, Cassiopeia, who just reappeared after all this time.

Nathan had theorized that the Almagest’s secrecy was due to the countless factors in play, but that was giving them the benefit of the doubt. He never encountered a group so off-putting.

Cassiopeia found a place near the fences, behind a storage shed. She snapped her fingers and a small, glossy dome surrounded them, which made the outside world look distorted. An isolated space most likely, to curb any eavesdroppers.

Nathan sighed, relaxing his character. Cassiopeia was most likely at his level or above it, given her high-rank in the Almagest. He began, casual yet serious, “How long has it been? Over a decade, right?”

Cassiopeia nodded, hands behind her back, looking out into the dark ocean. Horns blared, of battleships. “We’ve last spoken since the success of the Red Gate Expedition, as your world calls it.”

So you had been keeping an eye on us. Normally, he’d indulge in small chat but this was not the time nor the place for it. “Did you have anything to do with Sirius Aethfell—“

“No,” she coldly snapped, sounding sick of small chat as well. “Did you check if he was dead—?”

“I impaled him through the heart,” recounted Nathan; he recalled the moment vividly. He still remembered how difficult it had been, driving his spear into the Dragon King's chest and out. “I guess I should’ve been more thorough.”

“Hmph.” Cassiopeia refused to look at him.

“I’m assuming your leader had nothing to do with this either. Or any of your fellow Constellations.” Nathan began to pace. “It’s a bold move to show yourself in a base filled with high-rankers regardless, who have orders to detain you.”

Cassiopeia craned her neck to the side, cracked it. “They could try. I’m sure you are curious about how strong I am. What my powers are.”

Nathan huffed white out his helmet. “I have a sneaking suspicion.”

“Mhm.”

He stopped pacing, looked at her. “What do you want? You haven’t answered if any of your allies are involved in today’s disaster.”

“That is a stupid question considering we’ve just agreed that the Dragon King—Sirius Aethfell is behind this. And he somehow has the backing of the Space Beyond.” Cassiopeia laughed at the absurdity. “Rest assured, nobody in the Almagest predicted this. Not Zeroth. Especially not me. So I’ve thought to pay you, an old thorn of mine, a visit. Congratulations.”

He crossed his arms.

Cassiopeia looked over her shoulder. “For subjugating Zagan by yourself. Although his powers were reduced by his Earthen flesh, you may be a decent Constellation after all.” He grumbled. “Heh, and for becoming a father as well. Ariella, isn’t it? A beautiful name. Did Seraph picked it, or was it one of Rector’s suggestions?”

Nathan bit his lip, enough to draw blood. He took a few self-inflicted points of Quantified Health. “You’re about five years late to her baby shower. Get to the point.”

“What do you know about the current situation inside Ordo?” she asked, finally straight with him.

“I’m sure you have your ways of finding that out yourself, don’t you?” He leaned against the wall.

Cassiopeia nodded and looked in the direction where Ordo was. “We do but I thought it would be courteous to ask. The 153rd Constellation is currently inside Ordo gathering information as we speak. As villainous as you think we are—you’re not incorrect—we do not want to see this world destroyed.”

The 153rd? Pretty low, but I don’t know how they rank their members in the first place. Nathan took a second to process this information, especially the last part she said. “Right. I'm glad you are laying your motives so plainly for me."

She scoffed. “You’ve grown a spine since I first met you, Kosmos. You had been inexperienced then, a minnow. Is it your pride that makes you so standoffish? We cooperated together, if you care to remember. You wanted to end the Great Crisis and the Constellations wanted the King’s head like one of your…” She paused, humming. “…French revolutions. And we both got what we wanted. So let’s work together like old times, to kill the King once more.”

“Hmm… Do you mind if I think about it?” he asked as something of a joke.

Cassiopeia nodded and canted her head to the side. “By all means,” she said with a tilt of sarcasm in her voice.

He thought about it anyway.

Nathan remembered that chaotic time. On numerous occasions he had referenced the Cold War back during the last century, where the global superpowers had dangled their fingers disastrously close to the nuclear button; the Great Crisis was a repeat of that same powerless feeling. Instead of a self-inflicted annihilation, it was an external one, done by a limitless amount of threats. Many had believed they would perish no matter their struggles, but luckily this world had survived.

Although he hated to admit it: without the Almagest’s help, the world would have perished.

But in spite of that he remained suspicious, recalling the information he managed to scrounge together during that time. Most came from a few surviving records in Helodrake’s records room in the Hundred Realms: it had spoken about the Previous Earth, about the “grandest warrior” who was Conqueror, an EX-Rank. That was the earliest record as far as he could tell. Then something happened Helodrake went mad and somehow created the Hundred Realms and finally caused the Crisis as the denouement of his insanity.

And the Almagest had lived in the Hundred Realms under his oppression, had grown tired of his tyranny and launched a rebellion. With the aid of an outworldly institution named the Global Guards, they were successful. Since then, no one knew what they were up to.

Well, everything beyond the initial inciting event was a matter of simple deduction, really. Because of those records, Nathan knew of one Alexander Shen. If the multiversal similitude theory was correct, then he’d be a massive asset to solving this mystery.

Cassiopeia was finally looking at him now, her icy stare chilling his skin like he stepped out of a cold shower and into a blizzard. He wore a helmet that concealed his expressions but she looked as though she knew exactly how he felt, how he looked.

“Well?” she asked, having a hint of irritation.

“I haven’t decided,” he replied with the same spine she mocked earlier. And anger, as he made sure that [Ariella’s Bracelet] was still around his wrist. “I hadn’t trusted you then, I don’t trust you now, and I don’t think I’ll trust you in the future. Unless, if I dare ask, you tell me the entire story from the very beginning, about the Dragon King, how the Hundred Realms was created—what the Hundred Realms is—what your true goals are before and now, and so on.”

She went silent, her gazing turning into a icy stare.

This time, Nathan turned to Ordo and quietly sighed, wishing he was home right now. He prayed for Ariella’s safety and wished to see her smile again. No one will come in the way of that. “What should I do about Alexander Shen?”

A large cloud of condensation leaked through her mask.

He allowed himself a smirk. Hopefully she could sense that too. “I think our conversation ends here, then. So unless you have anything to share, leave. I have a world to protect. There is nothing for you to destroy here. There is no king for the Constellations to execute. Unless you count Monarch.”

Cassiopeia remained stubborn in her silence and seemingly accepted his answer, turned towards the left, and approached the shimmering barrier. She quietly lifted a hand, pressed it against the distorted, miragic shell. As the barrier was about to fall with a glaring glow, she stopped and looked over her shoulder. “...Kosmos,” she called to him surprisingly meek.

Nathan raised his head and watched her intently.

“Take care of your daughter.” A great shine blinded Nathan and the barrier was gone.

Cassiopeia’s gaze lingered on him, and he sensed an odd, somber emotion from her. Then she stiffened, returning to her indignant self and that vulnerability disappeared, and began to walk away.

In her path were two individuals who he recognized quite well: an Iranian woman who typically had a warm demeanor and a warmer smile, especially towards her patients. And that wasn’t seen here. Her golden skin was blemished with dirt, hair frayed and crusted, and her doctor’s coat had spots where it’d been dyed permanently with blood. Alter, and she made brief eye contact with the Constellation, face contorting.

The two women locked eyes and both were frozen for a chilling moment or two.

And beside her was a tall, formidable man of great prestige and looked self-aware about it. He brandished his teeth like a sword, cutting and sharp and dangerous, but he knew it’d do nothing to deter Cassiopeia. He swept back his dirty blonde-and-speckled-gray hair, using his dark eyes to show his silent, brewing distrust which could ignite to combat at any moment now.

Gadabout, the Chief Otherguard, the commanding Slayer of the entire guild whose authority was only matched by the General of the Otherguards. To Nathan, he was Gabriel Kamon, something between a bested rival and a good friend.

“Stand down, Gadabout,” told Nathan, being dealt with one of his friend’s infamous glares once again.

Cassiopeia passed them without a word. Only a look. First at Gadabout, then at Alter, lingering on her for a second longer. She snapped crisply as before, opened a snowy white portal and left just like that.

The temperature returned to normal, a pleasant kind of chilly.

Gadabout waited a few seconds to make sure she was gone before stomping towards Nathan, Alter following behind. “I always fucking knew they’d show their faces at some point. Nathan—“ Nathan cleared his throat, “—Kosmos, what did you two talk about? What the hell did she say?”

He shook his head. “Nothing, really. She wanted to know what we, well, know about Ordo and the situation regarding the Sungrazers. But that was just a pretense; she offered another collaboration between us and the Almagest.”

“To kill the Dragon King again?” concluded Alter.

“The Lord of Many,” Nathan corrected. “I declined her offer for the moment. She still refuses to share any intel with us and I doubt that’ll change anytime soon. But they’ll make another offer. I know it.”

Gadabout hummed. “Good, we can tell them to go to hell a second time. I don’t know why they thought strolling in was a good idea, Jesus. Anything else she spilled?”

“Mhm. The 153rd Constellation is in Ordo collecting information for them. I don’t think they’ll interfere with operations down there but once we can get through, we’ll shoot our guys a message. And…”

Nathan gulped, uneasy.

“What’s wrong?” asked Alter, concerned.

“Cassiopeia knows about my daughter. She knows that we refer to the Dragon King’s subjugation as Red Gate. They’ve been watching us and we didn’t know it until now.” From the moment the Crisis ended most likely, he thought and would’ve said that if he hadn’t bit his lip. It worried him.

Gadabout cursed and began pacing, hands behind the head. He seemed to have understood his implication. “What the fuck do they want from us?”

“So I’m assuming the Almagest has no involvement in the disaster? If I’m judging from your conversation correctly.” Alter glanced at her superior and had a soft frown.

Nathan answered, “Yeah, they’re just as clueless as us even with their means of procuring information—and I don’t know if we ought to be happy or depressed hearing that. Whatever the case, ignore them. We have to focus on slaying the Beasts first, then we can deal with the Almagest and Sirius Aethfell.”

Gadabout pushed himself off the fence and nodded. “Agreed. C’mon, let’s head back to the others.”

The three of them head back, with Alter taking occasional glances at where Cassiopeia had been, her expression tense.

Nathan remained quiet on the walk back to the conference room. He hadn’t mentioned Alexander Shen nor the odd reaction that Cassiopeia gave. It was a simple guess that Alexander was someone of interest to the Almagest considering his connection to the Dragon King. But this was information known to a very, very small circle: Nathan himself, Sera, Rashan, and Chie.

Only they knew he was an EX-Rank Slayer because Nathan pocketed all physical records for himself back during Red Gate. He couldn’t trust the Global Guards with this knowledge. As useful as they were to securing the world’s security, they weren’t saints—literally the opposite. Repeatedly they had impeded on the rights and sovereignty of nations and individuals under the guise of ‘worldly security’. Had they heard about Alexander Shen, they’d use a Black Order. And unlike Duskfire, he couldn't get out of it by working with the Otherguards. Since at the time of the Crisis, he wouldn't even be a teenager then.

So Nathan took it upon himself to wait, remain patient. There would be a time to introduce everything to him, he thought.

Alexander had lived a normal life in Massachusetts, watched it be destroyed in Hangzhou, was most likely involved in Oasisgate, and somehow found himself here in Ordo, admitted into Ordo University. There, he enrolled in Economics and met Leona Ahn and Damien Fayer. And his sister, Althea Shen, met Vernon Hugo.

Nathan had thought to involve Alexander when he first enrolled into university but decided otherwise to the advice of Sera, stating that his life was already action-packed. Giving him four years to wind down couldn't hurt him—Nathan, despite his worries, had agreed. Really, it was only after his summer vacation to Seoul, after Sera and Chie broke the news, that things would finally start moving.

Unfortunately Sirius Aethfell had other plans. Nathan had been there at ground zero, at the Nacht Redirection Facility. It was there that the first ominous portal came through, and out stepped a cloaked figure wielding a grotesque, slug-like staff—Kreutz, who had announced himself and his intentions.

Then in such a short time into the Ordo Disaster, the Dawn Baptists was formed. How ironic was this? Because truth be told, knowing about Alexander’s otherself wasn’t the only valuable information he had.

In the Previous Earth, Conqueror was the Guild Master of the Bastion Guild. The Vice Guild Master was SSS-Rank Celestial War Empress, Leona Shen. Of them, he had several Head Officers. One being SS-Rank Spirit Beast Queen, Althea Shen; and S-Rank Operator, Vernon Hugo.

They all had been monitored. Sera for one had been surprised when Leona was involved, seeing as she was just a young girl being spoiled rotten by her parents, Hwaseong Heavens, at the time of discovery. And Vernon too, as he was simply an inconsequential relative of a Head Officer in Royals.

And magically, the universe had brought them all together. Even included someone who had no mention in the records: Damien Fayer.

If that wasn’t witchcraft then what was?

Nathan took a moment to let his eyes rest on his beautiful home, so far away yet he could barely make out its dome. What he cherished was there. His wife, his daughter, Aiden and Chie, his colleagues and friends, everybody and everything. Trapped and afraid, breaking.

Only when the Beasts were killed, they could enter. Only when the Sungrazers were killed, the wall would fall.

And in this forever night, a rising star was within the disaster, fighting.

Alexander Shen, I’m passing the baton to you.