January 27, 1616 Central Calendar, 22:45

Eyes of the Order, Holy Milishial Empire

A small alarm clock on the table set to ring every fifteen minutes rang for the third time in this hour, making Princess Lugiel, the unmasked persona of Magister Sorath the Illuminator of the Eyes, look up from the paperwork she's been working on. After picking up the small device to silence it, she then turned to glance over her shoulder and called out to the man working behind her with a warm voice despite the tired rasp at its edge.

"That's enough for your duties tonight, Illustrator. Head home, get some rest."

Even though Lugiel couldn't fully see his face, she felt the man offer her a weary smile as he replied. "You seem to need the same degree of rest, don't you say, Magister?"

"I'm almost finished. I can handle a few more paperwork."

The man craned his head to look at the remaining bundle on Lugiel's desk and sighed, but there was no resistance in it.

"...Very well. Please always take care of yourself, Magister."

"Be careful on your way home."

Gathering his belongings at her words, the Illustrator bid farewell to the Princess with a bow before making his way out of the office room. Lugiel observed his departure with a sense of contentment gracing her ageless features. Serving as an aide to Magister Sorath, the devoted blonde-haired man's allegiance was as precious as any relic discovered by the Holy Empire. While the paperwork pile in front of her remained daunting, the office felt somewhat lighter now. Lugiel paused from her work for a moment and stretched her stiff back, the audible pops a reminder of the hours spent hunched over high-priority reports and documents that ended up finding their way to her desk.

For her own reasons, Lugiel would like a scene of solitude before deciding to try and make a call to the Person of Interest, a really interesting person she had just met face-to-face for the first time earlier during the day in order to satisfy her burgeoning curiosity. Besides, not only did Lugiel avoid overcomplicating the matters that she thought would arise once she contacted the boy, acknowledging the fatigue of her subordinate and urging him home reinforced the unspoken bond between a leader and subordinate. The gesture of kindness now doubled as a move to foster loyalty and trust... Lugiel reasoned within her mind.

With renewed focus, Lugiel sorted the remaining documents to spend the time. These tasks were forwarded to her immediately after the launch of the carrier Orphan Wolf Legend today after almost four years of construction at her birthplace on the Runepolis Magic Academy's gigantic shipbuilding facility. As the ship now occupied the fitting-out berth, the focus shifted to ensuring that adequate personnel would be available for its crew once commissioned. Most importantly, it was crucial that both of these MOASEC and Imperial Navy personnel who would be assigned to the carrier in its first role of training and research were also affiliated with the Order of the Ancients in order to smoothen the coordination. In this matter, Magister Sorath mainly coordinates with Eblis the Summoner and Mastema the Arbiter, another Magister who served as an Imperial Navy officer to direct the available human resources.

After Lugiel finished the last one, the Princess nodded lightly and turned to glance at the clock.

'It's almost time. Now... how should I approach this?' she thought as she took out a grimoire, different from the one she usually used.

Lugiel tapped a slender finger against her chin, contemplating the best excuse to initiate a contact with the Person of Interest. She closed her eyes briefly, mentally revisiting their encounter at the bookstore earlier that day. During their brief chat after that, the Person of Interest mentioned a trip to Leiden on this very same day, prompted by his pregnant mother nearing the estimated due date. The confirmation about this from Magister Enepsigos, who was attached to his family as a maid, further sealed the deal. Lugiel considered that using the excuse of offering congratulations on the impending arrival might not be too awkward and could serve as a genuine well-wishing, albeit with an underlying motive.

Eventually, her fingers danced across the crystalline touchscreen and composed a message:

"Hi, Meteos! It's Nova, the lady from the bookstore :)

Forgot to mention this, but big things are happening in your fam, right? Huge congrats on becoming an older bro!

WYATB"

The message was short and sweet. After rereading it with a faint giggle, Lugiel sent it to Meteos Roguerider's number as soon as the clock struck 23:00. She decided to add "Don't be a stranger, text back sometime!" moments later before leaning in her chair and waited for a response.

"(b^_^)b"

The reply from Meteos arrived moments later, a creative use of characters to depict a smiling person giving her two thumbs-up followed by a single word: "Thanks."

Lugiel's lips curved into a wide smile. It wasn't much, but it was enough. Laconic as it was, it confirmed he received the message and wasn't put off by the late-night contact. The brevity completely painted a picture of casualness she had built upon earlier and could be expanded into something more. With a satisfied nod, Lugiel pocketed the grimoire and began gathering her belongings. As she stepped out of the opulent office, she pondered how to turn this single exchange into a regular occurrence.

Until the time comes when she can establish a direct relationship with the Person of Interest, Lugiel knows she has to tread carefully in order to avoid scaring him off. So, for the time being, she decided to rely on her underlings and Magister Enepsigos who sympathized with her feelings.

❖⟐❖⟐❖

23:02

Maum, Enysfal Province

Amidst the serene winter midnight of a guesthouse in the district capital Maum where Meteora was admitted to a nearby hospital, Meteos finally received the grimoire notification he had been anticipating. The chime disrupted his rest, alerting him to a message from someone who introduced themselves as "Nova"—the same name used by the disguised Princess Lugiel during their encounter earlier in the day. His grimoire chimed again later, revealing another message from "Nova" inviting him to send her texts. Half-expecting it to be a call, Meteos, surrounded by his older siblings and their maid Rachel Giles, couldn't help but let out a sigh as he read the message and typed a short reply.

"Well, I didn't exactly specify how she should contact me," Meteos let the magic phone drop into his chest as soon as he tapped the screen to send the message back to his new contact and allowed a grin to appear on his face. Although he did have some expectations, he was indeed pushing the Temple of Heaven's limits now that such an incoherent series of events could somehow work. Now, a bridge was gradually being built between himself and the Princess.

"Don't worry, she is determined to ensure the Young Master's protection. There will be more opportunities in the future where you can interact better," wanting to reassure Meteos of a smoother future endeavor, Rachel turned to him and spoke.

"I know and I'm looking forward to it."

"Well then, good night, everyone. I can't wait to see our new little siblings tomorrow."

However, when he glanced at Legiel who moved from his position near the doorway to walk outside the room, the grin faded from Meteos' face like snow melting under a sudden heatwave. Ace continued to gaze at Legiel with a contemptuous sneer, but the White Rider merely threw him a dismissive glance before exiting the room, leaving a fuming Ace in his wake.

"Hm..."

That villain had just threatened to kill him in the morning. But considering how overpowered this villain is, the memory sent a shiver down Meteos' spine. With neither Pestilence nor Death set a definition of what constituted "frivolous" in his usage of the Temple of Heaven, Meteos found himself battling with conflicting feelings. His brief amusement was gone, again replaced by a bone-deep weariness. Looking at the remaining siblings and Rachel, Meteos rubbed his tired eyes.

"Well... This day has been... eventful... Now, could you please leave us? We need to sleep."

With a final pat on his shoulder and a murmured goodnight, Rachel ushered the others out, leaving him alone with Ace in the room.

The remaining older brother shifted uncomfortably after he clicked the door shut and turned to glance at Meteos. "Hey..." he began, voice thick with regret.

However, Meteos waved him off with a "Don't dwell on it," and flopped back onto the plush mattress that offered him little comfort, closing his eyes to get away from all the unfairness of this life and the heartache that accompanied it. In regard to that, Legiel singled them out and casually told both Meteos and Ace that if they didn't like how this Third Timeline turned out, they could just find a nearby building and jump off of it with hopes that their memories would accompany them to a next life.

In short, Legiel told them to kill themselves for feeling so pathetic.

'As if anyone would need a reminder of his evil—hm?'

"Tomorrow's a happy day... let's... ungh..."

"........."

Sighing at the sight of his younger brother's attempt to find sleep, Ace let go of the doorknob and sank onto the edge of the bed opposite Meteos to look after him, watching silently for the worry haunting Meteos' sleeping form. After seeing him stir for yet another time, he finally swallowed and reached out. His touch was hesitant, a feather-light brush against the younger brother's arm. But it seemed to be good enough.

For the next couple of hours, Ace remained wide awake.

❖⟐❖⟐❖

January 28, 1616 Central Calendar, 02:55

Maum District Hospital

In contrast to the cozy atmosphere within the hospital, the biting wind started to whip snowflakes outside shortly after the onset of a heavy snowfall. Amidst that situation, a lone security guard patrolling the outside trudged along his route, his flashlight beam cutting through the darkness. Feeling the icy grasp on his exposed face, the guard pulled his coat tighter.

"Man... is it going to be blizzard again?" he muttered, pulling his hat lower over his ears.

Continuing his trek towards a more secluded corner of the hospital, the security guard's attention was captured by an unusual sound. It was subtle, resembling a whimper, nearly drowned in the gusty wind. Taking a moment to pause, he eventually veered off the route, drawn by the unseen sound. The closer he got, the more distinct it became, a low, mournful whine that sent a shiver down his spine.

"W-who's there?" he shouted with a trembling voice. The sound of thunder echoing in the distance further startled him in this eerie scene.

The security guard's heart pounded against his ribs. Hesitantly, he aimed his flashlight toward a darkened alleyway beside the hospital wing where he thought the sound originated. Just as he stepped towards it, a sudden shift in the air made him halt, followed by something – a wisp of purple mist swirling around him like a shroud being slowly drawn. It was faint at first, barely noticeable, but it grew with horrifying speed, thickening and billowing towards the center—the spot where the security guard stood.

Panic gripped him. He spun around, flashlight beam flailing wildly, searching for an escape route. But the mist was already upon him. It seeped into his lungs, replacing the air with a thick, suffocating haze. His vision blurred, the swirling purple tendrils obscuring everything around him. The guard attempted to turn back and scramble for the path back to the safety of the hospital lights. But then, a thick tendril erupted from the swirling mist and coiled around his right leg. With a panicked shriek, the guard crumpled to the snow as the tendril squeezed the limb tighter.

The rest of the purple mist, no longer content with a slow dance, surged at him all at once and engulfed the writhing guard without care.

Listening to the last wisp of the guard's scream fading into the wind, Legiel Roguerider straightened from his casual lean against the nearby wall, having watched the scene unfold with morbid amusement. His eyes gleamed with an unnatural light as the purple mist devoured its prey.

Unlike the chaotic black sludge of Mortal Suffering, the swirling purple mist that seemingly manifested by this hospital building wasn't amplified malevolence. It represented raw Minus Energy, a natural byproduct of suffering and pain inherent to any world that sustains life. Only when the inhabitants' stupidity, such as wars and massacres, tainted their world did the massive and sudden outburst of Minus Energy have a chance to coalesce and devolve into Mortal Suffering that the Civilization Annihilation Game regularly harvests and distributes to their audience. While harmless in small quantities, only very slightly influences everyone within it with an uncomfortable feeling, the Minus Energy could still be harnessed as fuel by entities like himself—him and three others as the only beings at his level, to be precise.

His choice of the hospital wasn't random either. Although not potent enough to induce widespread destruction, Minus Energy thrived in environments characterized by concentrated, naturally occurring suffering. Hospitals, despite their role as a place of healing, often served as cauldrons for suppressed despair, fear, and regret. The emotions of every sick, injured, and grieving who came to this building seeped into the nook and cranny of the construct, forming a potent wellspring of the negativity that Legiel sought. Consequently, he commanded the concentrated Minus Energy to transform the unfortunate soul in front of him into something akin to a Gameizer, albeit a much weaker version that Legiel termed a "Negative Grade," lower than Zero.

If the late-Second Epoch Ravernal Empire were to see someone who could harness the concept of negativity to create a Light-Winged People-level super soldiers like this, either they would be drooling or be so offended that they would Core Magic this country to eliminate this one man...

SPIDER!

Rising from the mist, a bipedal monster materialized with a distinct appearance. Its right half was jet black, in stark contrast to the left half which exhibited a mottled pattern of green and red which was adorned with short spikes and a hand featuring longer sharp fingers than the other. Protrusions resembling spider legs erupted from its shoulders and a purple crystalline object covered its three eyes and forehead. Additional spider legs sprouted from the back of its head to form a crown-like structure.

After stumbled into existence, the pseudo-Gameizer emitted a low growl and lumbered aimlessly around the place. Legiel eyed the monster that ignored him and shifted his gaze to the direction of the guesthouse where the other Roguerider children were staying and smiled.

…………

Ace Roguerider remained glued to Meteos' side and watched over the rhythmic rise and fall of his brother's chest. He traced idle patterns on Meteos' arm with a touch so light it wouldn't disturb his sleep, yet grounding him amidst the storm of emotions.

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But all of a sudden, a pricking unease settled in his gut, a sense of something wrong emanating from beyond the windowpanes. He lifted his head to gaze at the outside and witnessed one of the nearby buildings among the cityscape had been obscured by a faint, swirling mist tinged with an unsettling purple hue.

'Minus Energy...!?' With widened eyes, Ace now understood why the sensation felt so familiar until one name came to mind and was uttered with a growl. "Legiel..."

His blood ran cold in realization. To make matters worse, that one building is the very hospital where their mother Meteora was admitted for a planned cesarean delivery tomorrow. Minus Energy, so concentrated that it's visible in the mortal plane, was swirling around the very hospital his mother and father were staying in. Now that he had concluded it to be Legiel's doing, relying on his other older siblings would be a futile hope—they wouldn't do anything not because they can't, but rather because they won't. That's not what they're here for.

With a quiet movement so as to not disturb Meteos, Ace gave the slumbering boy a silent reassurance, stood up, and grabbed a sling bag containing his equipment hanging nearby, forgetting to even don winter clothing before slipping out the window and rolled to the snow-covered ground after free-running down the second floor only in his shirt and trousers.

Upon reaching the hospital's main entrance, Ace encountered a sight that made him frown. There was one security guard standing motionless with a vacant gaze, seemingly fixated on a single point beyond Ace's sight.

"Good morning, Younger Brother," Legiel suddenly appeared from his side and addressed him in a cordial tone.

"You!" Ace spun at him and growled. "...What do you think you're doing...!?"

In response, Legiel dismissed his anger with a nonchalant shrug. "Oh, I was 'testing the waters' to see what a thing like me can and cannot do in this realm before the Eldest Brother comes."

".........!"

"Go on and finish your business, Younger Brother. I have cleared the location to spare you unnecessary interruptions, so you can play to your heart's content."

"Grrr..."

Now that the Minus Energy, which was not supposed to be tangible in the mortal plane, was taking a physical form, Ace needed to take it down as soon as possible before it devoured more and grew more powerful. With that in mind, he refused to humor Legiel's antics any longer and bolted past him to find the source of the Minus Energy.

Legiel was unfazed by the outburst and watched him go with a smile. "...Oh well, more action scenes for me to cover..."

The air inside the underground parking lot where Ace believed the source was located was thick with a suffocating miasma. The wisps of purple mist occasionally emerged from the walls, pillars, floor, and ceiling, and floated around, while in the center was a grotesque bipedal lifeform vaguely resembling a spider lumbering around without a clear aim. Then, as if noticing Ace's presence, the monster stopped in its tracks and snapped in his direction, walking toward him with a steadier gait than before.

"That must be the source..."

Being forced into living in this world as a Homo sapiens sapiens, Ace knew that his magical power alone wouldn't be enough to win against an equivalent of a Malakh youngling (the more powerful predecessor of the Light-Winged People) like the monster in front of him. He needed more power, and that's where the Desire Driver came in. Deciding not to waste any more time, Ace retrieved the aforementioned device and the white revolver-shaped trinket from his sling bag and slammed the former into his waist, letting the strap erupt from one side to fasten around him. Following that, he attached the other device to the right-hand side of the belt.

SET!

"Henshin!"

As soon as a holographic screen depicting a revolver chamber appeared on Ace's right side, he spun the chamber and pressed the trigger to initiate the transformation sequence. Red bullets flew out of the Magnum Buckle and impacted the spider monster to stagger it before their trajectory bent backward and they homed in to strike the hologram floating beside Ace.

MAGNUM!

Two metallic rings materialized around Ace as the black undersuit formed to wrap him, followed by a white fox mask with red trimmings falling onto his helmet. Finally, the white armor forming in the place where the red bullets struck earlier was pulled into Ace's transformed form, while a white gun materialized on the holder on his right waist to complete the sequence.

Forced against a problem created by that troublemaker Pestilence, Ace Roguerider thus donned the device coming from a destroyed distant future world to transform and fight once more as the armored warrior Geats, Magnum Form.

"........."

READY...?

FIGHT!

The monster finally stood up and let out a screech as it lunged. In response, a furious Geats met the charge head-on and ducked over a swipe of sharp claws, then parrying some more before retaliating with a punch to the head. With the creature reeling from the hit as a result, Geats jumped and landed a powerful roundhouse kick to the monster's chest. The impact sent it tumbling back, stunned once again.

Geats didn't waste the opportunity. He whipped out his Magnum Shooter 40X from the holder and somersaulted above the monster, rapidly unleashing bullets that exploded upon contact with the enemy. After recovering from the jump, Geats landed with a crouch and continued the assault using his gun.

The creature roared in pain as more bullets impacted its form, each shot seemingly chipping away its body and carving craters in its chitinous carapace where plumes of purple miasma began to leak out. Remained locked in place, Geats coldly watched the monster's helplessness while not relenting in his assault, not bothering to embellish his movement with a flourish.

"........."

With a desperate screech, it turned amidst the barrage and limped toward the shadows with the remaining strength. However, Geats wasn't done yet. He unfolded the barrel of his gun which announced "RIFLE!" and removed the Magnum Buckle from his belt before inserting it into the available slot, further turning the Magnum Shooter 40X from Rifle Mode into Machine Gun Mode.

MAGNUM!

Geats rotated the Magnum Buckle's cylinder part once and pressed on its trigger, charging it as red and white energy constructs of a revolver's cylinder repeatedly appeared around the gun's barrel and shrunk until disappearing into the muzzle as orange energy also flowed into it.

MAGNUM! TACTICAL BLAST!

The charged energy was unleashed with a thunderous roar. A bright yellow bullet erupted from the gun's barrel, tearing through the air and slamming into the retreating monster's back, instantly consuming the creature with a blast and dissolving it into sparks and purple miasma. The explosion echoed through the parking lot, leaving behind a ringing silence with Legiel's machinations ensuring that no one will come no matter how riotous the fight unfolds.

As the fiery plume of the explosion faded, Geats lowered his gun in silence. The grotesque spider monster he had just battled was completely gone, replaced by a swirling vortex of purple mist that writhed and danced in the air. But unlike before, the edges of the swirling mist began to shimmer with an ethereal golden light. Slowly, the tendrils also began to unravel, each wisp stretching and thinning until they resembled threads spun from molten gold. In the end, the mist dissipated entirely in a gust of wind that blew outward, leaving behind a glittering cloud of golden dust that shimmered like fallen stars, attaching themselves to the building before fading away completely. In comparison to before, the air around the transformed Ace no longer felt stagnant.

In the place where the monster exploded, now there was an unconscious man wearing the winter coat of a local security guard that Legiel used as a host for his creation, thankfully having been ejected from his involuntary role without injury. Slowly stepping forward, Geats hesitantly approached the man and knelt beside him to check for a pulse, finding it steady although weak. The man's breathing was shallow and his face was pale, but at least Geats was relieved that he hadn't directly caused any harm.

"So, does it feel good to neutralize this place of the Minus Energy?"

A smiling Legiel materialized from the shadows and sauntered closer.

"Look at the bright side, at least you did a good deed today. You saved that man," he made a gesture with his hand before continuing. "And there's more to it than that. You recognized what those sparkling bits are, right?"

Coming from Legiel, Ace gritted his teeth in discomfort underneath his helmet, but yes, he knew what are those.

Hope.

After he eliminated the concentrated Minus Energy, he inadvertently transformed it into an opposite which will spread out and fill this entire building with it.

Geats remained crouched beside the unconscious guard and readied his Magnum Shooter 40X. He slowly turned to face Legiel, his voice was cold and heavy as he spoke. "...This is not supposed to happen in this world."

"And reincarnating Meteos Roguerider is okay? Tampering with this world is okay? ...Such pathetic words, hypocritical Younger Brother."

The white armored warrior raised his gun, aiming it directly at Legiel's head.

"I don't have any problem with misfortune coming my way, but not only you endangered an innocent life, you could have harmed my parents!"

Legiel cocked an eyebrow. "Roderick and Meteora are also my parents, what are you getting at?"

"I refuse to acknowledge you the right of mentioning those names."

"And?"

Crack!

Legiel's stance shifted slightly, and Geats' gun fired once at that exact moment.

The bullet was propelled from the Magnum Shooter 40X's extended barrel with a muzzle velocity higher than any infantry rifle of this world and blasted forward. But as always the case with the person who became its target, the bullet's trajectory took an impossible turn, suddenly curving mid-air and arcing around Legiel before resuming its course and embedding itself harmlessly into the concrete wall behind the target.

It was purely an instinctual act, with Geats pressing the trigger without a second thought as soon as Legiel showed subtle signs of aggression, not caring that it was an utterly and completely useless act.

At that moment, the space around Geats shimmered and Legiel instantly vanished from his sight only to reappear a hair's breadth away with his hand snapping out to clamp around the armored warrior's throat. The white armor seemed to offer no resistance as Legiel's grip tightened, squeezing the air from Geats' lungs and choking off his cry.

Geats clawed at the hand constricting his throat, but the other entity's hold was absolute.

"This is the story that you started. Your choices destroyed your Earth, damaged Yggdra beyond repair, and now you're haunting the fate of this world. If you cannot deal with it, then continue pretending to be everything you are not..."

"Ghhhk...!"

"A lover... a brother... a son... But in the end, you were, and will always be... a monster."

As the hand squeezed tighter, Ace's vision began to blur. The edges of the world seemed to dissolve, replaced by swirling darkness.

"Get lost. You do not belong here in this world. Amatsu-Mikaboshi, God of Nothing... Protector of Nobody!"

The next thing he knew, his lower jaw faced the brunt of Legiel's fist and then he felt a sensation of fleeing. And after that... everything went black in an instant.

"Open your heart..."

"Open your heart..."

"Open your heart..."

"Argh...!"

A sudden jolt tore Ace from the suffocating darkness. Disoriented, he gasped, remnants of a choked scream echoing in his throat. As he tried to sit upright, his heart pounded loudly and his breaths came out in ragged spurts. His vision, blurry at first, gradually adapted to the dim light of his surroundings, revealing traceable outlines of what his mind registered as furniture. Then, a slight feeling of relief came. He was in his room at the guesthouse.

The clock on the wall glowed accusingly: 06:40 in the morning. It was still dark and the world was outside barely awake. Outside, the wind could be heard howling around the building, whipping sleet against the windowpanes. He could picture the cityscape shrouded in a blanket of fresh snow that reflected the dim streetlights.

'Was it all a dream?'

Ace winced as he shifted on his bed, slowly swinging his legs over the edge and touching the floor. The cold sweat and his unkempt hair clinging to his skin felt like a mockery of the raging fire within him. He was back, but the weight of the dream, or whatever it was, pressed down heavily on his chest. After pressing his fingertips against his throbbing temples to will the phantoms to recede, he cautiously shifted his gaze across the room, landing on the still form of Meteos nestled in his bed. While relief washed over him as he confirmed his younger brother's peaceful slumber, Ace grimaced and wondered if he had fallen asleep at some point and was dreaming this entire time.

As he further regained his bearings, something else snagged his attention. Folded neatly on a nearby chair lay his jacket, but on top of it were two unfamiliar items and a paper. Ace let out a sharp breath at this sight. These two objects were two small Raise Buckles that obviously weren't from this world, and not part of the equipment that Death had given him. Then, he saw the letter.

Turning on the reading lamp and unfolding the letter, his eyes scanned the elegant handwriting with a growing sense of unease.

"Consider these a gift for completing the mission. From the Hope you scattered last night, I have crafted these Armed Arrow Buckle and Armed Propeller Buckle. Now it's yours, let's see if you are interested in collecting more of it. Well then, see you at the hospital with our new siblings.

With love, your brother Legiel Roguerider"

Without a second thought, the letter crackled in Ace's grip, turning the smooth parchment into a crumpled mess that mirrored the boiling emotion within him. The dream, then, was no dream.

"More games..."

A growl rumbled in his throat, but he swallowed it down, forcing it back into the churning pit of his stomach. Instead, he ran both his hands over his face to scrub away the lingering remnants of last night.

"Astarte... I am sorry..."

❖⟐❖⟐❖

January 28, 1616 Central Calendar, 13:28

Maum District Hospital

Rather than a nervous tension that the television dramas usually depict in this situation, the Roguerider household simply sat in the waiting room while waiting for the surgery to be over. A C-section typically takes 45 minutes to an hour, while the matriarch was only wheeled into the delivery room for about ten minutes.

For Ace Roguerider, being stuck with his 'older siblings' in this agonizing silence gave him the desire to get away. Even the absence of Legiel from the room couldn't quell the suffocating feeling.

"I need to go to the bathroom."

Eventually, he opened his mouth and rose from his seat, giving a nod to Roderick while he walked away.

"Me too," Meteos blurted not long after that and trailed after his older brother.

Unlike Ace, the silence didn't suffocate him. But the sight of Ace's hunched shoulders, a stark contrast to his usual posture, sent a pang of concern through him. Glancing at his face under the magic lights, he knew that Ace hadn't slept last night for some reason.

Catching up to Ace just outside the bathroom, Meteos grabbed his shoulder.

"Hm?" the older stopped and turned.

"Speak."

"...What if I don't want to speak?"

"You don't trust me?"

A heavy sigh escaped Ace's lips. Then, he held up a hand and beckoned to Meteos to go outside.

"Come."

…………

"All that happened?" he mumbled in resignation, eyeing the two devices in his grip.

Having been presented with a pair of small Raise Buckle-like objects while Ace spoke of his latest bad blood with Legiel without sugarcoating his words, Meteos started to stare at them while clenching them tightly. The one named Armed Arrow Buckle is painted in bright light green, with a face bearing the likeness of a crossbow on it, while the other one named Armed Propeller Buckle is a gray device featuring a four-bladed propeller.

The process sounded largely similar to exorcism or purification ritual to cleanse places or objects, so it was something a mortal Meteos could comprehend. Normally, it should have been a good thing. However, with the First Horseman of the Apocalypse thrown into the mix with no one knowing what long game he's playing, the situation becomes incredibly muddled. Hearing the First Horseman of the Apocalypse gave them as gifts after literally creating them from the Hope of this world also sounded so wrong.

"Did anyone get hurt?" Meteos asked again, to which Ace shook his head.

"Think of it as a controlled environment. He made it so that nothing else is disturbed... though..."

"You're thinking of what he would do with this in the future... isn't it?"

"Yes... Meteos, if possible, we must avoid having anything to do with him or the other Horsemen if we can."

Ace clenched his jaw.

"Are we truly powerless against him?" Meteos' expression darkened for a moment. "Even after everything we've seen, all we can do is wait for the next disaster he throws our way?"

Without any realistic means to stop the Horsemen's whims, the two ended up staying outside in silence.

…………

Eventually, they returned to the waiting room and found the spot taken by their family to be empty, leaving behind a waiting Rachel who walked over to them the moment they made eye contact with each other. With a sense of anticipation, the two waited to hear what the maid of theirs had to say.

"Young Masters, they're here. Two boys and two girls," Rachel informed. "Master Roguerider is in the NICU with them now, and the rest are with the Lady."

Ace remained silent and nodded slowly to process the news, but on the other hand, Meteos' tense shoulders relaxed as if letting go of a very heavy burden from them, all apprehension from earlier momentarily forgotten in an episode of joy.

Ace eyed Rachel. "Legiel?"

"He's still not returned."

"Hm."

Ace would rather have Legiel be as far as possible from ruining the moment. When they went to check on Meteora afterward, Ace felt a sliver of contentment seeing her be doing very well and engaged in a conversation with Meteos, congratulating each other with radiant smiles on their faces despite the weariness.

However, were it not for his own machinations, two among their new arrivals would never have been born into this world. The weight of being the one who initiated this rapidly snowballing chain of events caught up to him in full force, making him almost too scared to look at his new siblings in the face.

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