Emery and his four friends, alongside Lord Izta and the Eastern Sage, the seven of them stepped into the portal that would bring them to a designated planet outside of the Magus Academy. It was, in fact, one of the outposts the Magus Alliance controlled.
There, a middle-aged man seemed to have been waiting for the group. The head of the Magus Academy, Headmaster Delbrand. Just as the man had promised Emery, he had come to accompany the group to meet the Nephilim faction.
When they arrived, Headmaster Delbrand's eyes were immediately drawn to the Eastern Sage, and a slight hint of confusion appeared on his face. Seeing this, Lord Izta stepped forward and quickly explained who Fuxi was.
"This is Fuxi. He is the first generation acolyte of Earth."
As Lord Izta introduced him, Fuxi gave a gesture of respect to Headmaster Delbrand. However, he did not say anything else after that.
Returning the gesture given to him, the headmaster then turned to Emery and asked, "Are you ready?" which the latter immediately answered with a nod.
Not long after, a loud rumbling sound came from the sky. Everyone immediately raised their heads to see what it was and saw a spaceship descending towards them.
Looking at the massive construct, Emery was captivated by it. It was one of the most magnificent ships he had ever seen. Its pearly white body gave off a feeling of tranquility, while the golden streak seen across its surface exuded a sense of regality.
When the ship finally landed and opened its hatch, Emery saw a squad of 11 people – ten magus and one grand magus – come out and walk towards them.
Emery and his friends intently observed the new arrivals, as they wondered who the grand magus was – whether the person had any connection to the one the Nephilim currently stationed to watch over their homeworld Earth.
However, as soon as the grand magus spoke, the group realized that they couldn't be more wrong on their assumptions.
"Grand Magus Delbrand, I have been sent to be your aide during your visit."
A powerful figure as strong as the headmaster himself was apparently only sent as an aide. This fact instantly left Emery and the others at a loss for words.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtThe group boarded the spaceship under the escort of the magus squad. It then rose to the sky and left the atmosphere, making its way through the vast universe.
It took nearly two hours traveling through the hyperspace before they finally arrived at a particularly unique solar system. Interest flashed across Emery's eyes as he saw what lay beyond the ship window.
Two dozen planets could be seen in the far distance, orbiting around three giant stars shining brightly. It was a completely different landscape and structure to the solar system of which Earth was a part.
However, as the ship drew closer, Emery realized that there were actually many metallic structures seen floating around the stars. There was even one humongous base – nearly comparable to the star in size – that seemed to be draining power from the stars, as a pillar of energy was seen connecting the two like a bridge.
Emery and his friends could only see the sight in deep awe. They really couldn't imagine what kind of strength one would have to attain to achieve such a feat. Even Headmaster Delbrand seemed to be in awe of the sight, as evidenced by the words he spoke.
"That is what we call a stellar civilization, one with the capability to harness the entire output of a star. It's an impressive feat, indeed." said Headmaster Delbrand, staring at the humongous base.
Before long, the ship that the group was riding flew past the massive structure and flew closer to one particular blue planet. It was the designated place for the meeting with the Nephilim faction.
An announcement echoed through the ship.
[We are descending towards planet Ebiru 08. Prepare for entry]
The ship drew closer to Ebiru 08, and Emery saw that there were hundreds of metal constructs floating around the planet's atmosphere which seemed to be the planet's defensive weapons. However, as soon as they flew past them, the group was greeted by a completely opposite sight.
A magnificent blue sea that gleamed beautifully covering almost the entirety of the planet. It was akin to a blue canvas with different shades, yet exuded a particular sense of aesthetic. It was mesmerizing.
"Is this an empty planet?" Emery asked when he couldn't see any sign of humans in the sparse amount of lands they passed.
The one who answered the question was the grand magus figure the Nephilim sent as aide.
"Yes, there are no cities or civilizations. This particular planet is intended only to be used for diplomacy purposes, hence it's better to leave it empty."
Once again, Emery and his friends were awed by the extravagance. The fact that the Nephilim had a planet dedicated only for meetings; this Grade 5 faction certainly didn't disappoint its illustrious reputation.
A few minutes later, the ship finally landed on one particular island – the largest Emery had seen on the planet. The group was greeted by a group of strange-looking white-robed humans as they exited the ship.
"Welcome to Ebiru 08, Headmaster Delbrand as well as guests from Earth." said the one who led the group. A middle-aged man with distinctive features.
These people seemed to be informed of their visit and welcomed them with the utmost respect, which honestly made Emery and the others slightly uncomfortable. They couldn't help but be dubious about the unwarranted courtesy.
"Please follow us as we escort you to the meeting place."
Emery and the others were led by this group of people. They walked up the hills, climbing about 500 stairs that were surrounded by a beautiful flower garden. Coupled with the relaxing scenery of the island, the journey didn't feel cumbersome at the very least.
What awaited them at the top was a pearly white dome building where more people dressed in white robes could be seen.
"Please come inside," said the leader of the escort.
Right at this moment, before the group entered the building, the grand magus aide turned to Headmaster Delbrand and said, "We shall not enter and will be waiting here. If you need anything, we will be ready."
Apparently, the aide was deployed for the group's protection against other Nephilim that they would meet, which was quite confusing to Emery and his friends. They couldn't fathom why the Nephilim sent someone to protect them from people of their side.
Noticing the confusion the group had, Lord Izta explained the situation. "This is how they treat VIPs. all because of the headmaster's presence".
It turned out that Lord Izta himself had had a similar duty before, and so he confirmed and assured Emery and the others that the other party's presence could really help make sure nothing bad would go with the meeting.
When the group finally entered the dome building, Emery was surprised to see a familiar figure. Moreover, it seemed that they were also waiting for him.
"Took you all long enough." She said with a grin. "Welcome to Ebiru 08."
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmThe short-haired blonde girl wearing the Magus Academy uniform was none other than Jinkan Nephilim.
Seeing the look on Emery's face, the girl chuckled. "Don't be so surprised, Emery. After all, I have been looking forward to this meeting for a while now."
She looked at Emery with her signature wicked smile, and Klea who was standing next to Emery felt uncomfortable seeing that. Emery wasnt sure Jinkan's presence was a good sign for this meeting or the opposite.
"Let's go inside. Most were here already."
Hearing those words, Emery realized that he didn't sense Jinkan's energy from outside. Even now, he was certain that he didn't sense anyone beside them inside. This place seemed to have artifacts that tempered or neutralized Spirit Reading entirely, and he was once again awed by the realization.
Under Jinkan's lead, the group went past two more doors before they finally reached what referred as the inner room. Upon entering, the group could see three sets of tables had been prepared.
Two of them were empty, while on the one placed at the further side of the room, there were three figures already sitting. It was clear that they were waiting for the group.
Right away, Emery's eyes fell on a certain figure among the three. He recognized the other party.
"Zeus!"
The man called Zeus was the magus who descended during the Battle of Camelot, and he was the one that ended Hades' life, or so he thought.
The woman sitting next to Zeus was someone Emery didn't recognize so he turned his gaze to the last remaining person, and the feeling the other person gave off was extremely eerie.
A middle-aged man with golden hair and a beard. However, despite his friendly appearance, the man had a piercing gaze that sent chills down the spine. Emery was sure that the man was at least grand magus level.
Emery saw a smile that could only be said as evil on his face, saying, "Look what we have here. Two of my juniors, what a reunion."
Realizing that the man was not actually looking at him, Emery turned his head and saw the faces of Lord Izta and the Eastern Sage, who previously was calm, turned into one that of extreme hatred.
"Kronos!!"