[Timeline note: In Holy Cas, at the point when Amos and the others have just come of age and Ebinino has not yet reached his death node, the entire narrative overlaps and traverses to one year after the adult Zao, whom Amos once saw in a future vision, arrives at Holy Cas.]
Pain—
Everything hurts—
Blood stained everything before the eyes, as if all things were shrouded in a red filter.
After almost the entire Crown Clan fell, humanoid Aberrant Beasts appeared out of nowhere, their numbers increasing, and the speed of their evolution quickening.
In a year’s time, Holy Cas, already extremely battered, became even more riddled with scars.
Interstellar nations switched sides, several immortal lineages perished, and organizations like the Hymn Organization had already begun to celebrate their anticipated victory in advance, eagerly looking forward to their sacred rites proceeding smoothly.
After the Crown Clan’s habitat fell, the location Holy Cas chose for its imperial star was indeed well chosen—the pollution had never spread this far, but the entire state was in dire straits, and the number of Holy Cas survivors was pitifully small.
“Right—keep moving forward, that way—”
A hoarse voice sounded at his side, the former carefree spirit now vanished without a trace, leaving only exhaustion.
His scarlet eyes had lost their luster, somewhat vacant, staring fixedly in one direction.
“Uncle Feeney—”
Chu Zao fought to endure his pain, tears slipping from the corner of his eyes; his vision was already completely drenched in blood.
“That direction?”
“Yes—that direction—”
Behind Feeney, his wings were tattered, the coronet halo above his head just barely maintaining an unbroken form; his visage still hidden under his beard, indistinct, only a faint curve of the lips seeming visible.
“The Crown Clan’s habitat planet—”
His kin, his siblings—his compatriots—
All perished along with their habitat planet.
Such a vast empire, completely collapsed in just these ten or so years.
One by one, they either ended themselves or were devoured by pollution, vanishing in the end, leaving nothing behind.
Only he, heartless as ever—
Feeney was laughing—
Ah, what for did they leave him alone here?
Did they think that leaving him here could change his disposition—did they think… he would cry?
Hahaha—what an utterly ridiculous notion.
Truly… hilarious…
“Uncle Feeney—don’t cry… you, just hold on a bit more—”
The cub raised in the Angel Realm had already reached this age, but always lacking nutrition since childhood, his strength could never keep up, and after constant suppression, though his disposition was not completely ruined, whatever he did, he always seemed a bit hesitant.
And he looked so fragile, such a tiny figure.
Indeed, just like the legendary never-growing little angel—already an adult, yet still looked very much a young boy.
This was already the result of Feeney’s efforts to take care for a year.
But it was no use—
There was simply nothing to be done—
Such a barren, nearly entirely consumed world, could never allow Feeney to truly care for Little Chu Zao.
Was he crying?
He shouldn’t be—
To be so disheveled—should not be seen.
Feeney had just exhausted all his strength dealing with two Aberrant Beast Commanders, nearly depleted, and though Chu Zao’s powers had grown somewhat over this year and his character a bit more decisive, much more tenacious, but this year was too brief to overcome the influence of the past decade, and Feeney, busy defending the remaining Holy Cas, had no time to instruct the young one.
But it was strange—when he first saw Chu Zao, Feeney’s psionic coronet was already tottering on the edge of breaking, yet unexpectedly, he’d managed to hold on through the year. The thing that might kill him, in the end, might not be the shattering coronet, but the utter depletion of his essence, energy, and spirit.
Sometimes, Feeney would think—if only he could die a bit sooner than Brother Amos.
He wouldn’t have to shoulder so much—Brother Amos was strong; if Second Brother were here, he would surely have a better solution.
“Listen—”
Feeney finally raised his head, turning to face the cub whose coronet bore the Dwight family insignia.
To Feeney’s age, even the adult Zao Zao was just a little Zao Zao.
Let alone Little Chu Zao, who, due to malnutrition and weakness, essentially looked like a young teenager.
Feeney’s eyes were murky and dark—
He stretched his hand, gently wiping the blood from Chu Zao’s forehead.
Watching Chu Zao wince in pain, tears falling more and more, but much less crying than before.
Much tougher now.
But too late—
Perhaps the only consolation in all of this was—Chu Zao’s coronet halo was completely unaffected by the fate of the Crown Clan’s habitat—
Even now, Chu Zao’s coronet halo still shone bright and golden, with no sign of cracking.
“Ten years earlier… no, five years earlier… they might have deduced who your parents were—”
Back then Amos was still there, and Holy Cas wasn’t so desperate—everything plummeted after that great presence behind Holy Cas fell.
Feeney had always wanted to raise Chu Zao as his own, but time was too short, life too bleak—
Feeney stared again in the direction of the Crown Clan’s habitat planet, such a powerful race, brought to self-annihilation in the midst of pollution, leaving only himself behind.
“But now—”
Feeney’s expression grew a shade colder.
“Chu Zao, listen.”
Chu Zao wiped his tears, nodding fiercely: “I’ll go protect the imperial star—”
“No, not that—”
Feeney pulled Chu Zao back.
He spoke one word at a time.
“Your coronet halo is completely different from ours—identity uncertain, bloodline uncertain—”
Though Feeney always assumed Chu Zao was Dwight’s child.
But ah—but ah—
Ahead… there was no path forward.
“One year’s time is enough. From now on, Holy Cas… has nothing to do with you. The Crown Clan… has nothing to do with you, either.”
Chu Zao was stunned, eyes wide, looking at Feeney.
“Uncle… Feeney…?”
Feeney had been leaning on Chu Zao’s shoulder, supported by him. Now he pushed himself up, looking at Little Chu Zao once more.
Those scarlet eyes seemed to hold everything, and yet nothing.
At last he turned away, raising his hand to quickly bandage the wound on his shoulder, biting the end of the bandage tight, then gazed once more into the distance—across that interstellar void, countless Aberrant Beasts lay in wait.
“I know you’ve made friends among the stars this past year, Chu Zao—”
Feeney turned his head. Amid shadow and gloom, and rising despair, only his scarlet eyes were bright.
A quiet silver-black gleam—the massive, battered psionic bow hovered silently behind him.
“Leave here—survive.”
Leave here—survive?
“No! I won’t!”
Chu Zao immediately protested loudly, his beautiful face streaked with dirt, fingers clenched, and tears finally falling in a torrent.
“Did I not do well enough? Daily training? Stealth assignments? Securing the strategic fronts for Holy Cas? Or was I not coordinated enough with the starships? Was it because of my failures in all these?”
Chu Zao asked while wiping his tears, his voice choked but his attitude firm.
None of those—
Feeney only slowly withdrew his gaze.
What he meant to say was finished—no more words to add.
“Uncle Feeney, tell me—didn’t you say—Chu Zao… is a little Crown Clan scion? Didn’t you say…”
Chu Zao lifted his hand, his face a mash of blood, tears, and grime—crying so piteously.
“I’m a Little Dwight—doesn’t that mean Chu Zao… has a home? You… you’re lying to me?”
After so much wandering, Little Chu Zao finally steeled himself.
“I’m not leaving. Whatever order you gave before, I haven’t yet fulfilled. No matter what Uncle Feeney says, I won’t leave. Because it’s not just you—there’s everyone in Holy Cas—”
Those who forgave him when his training fell short, those who searched for rare foods to nourish him while piloting damaged starships, those who, whenever it was, always greeted him as their little highness with hope and expectation.
“Uncle Feeney, your words now don’t count—”
As Chu Zao spoke, the mixture of tears and blood streamed down his cheeks.
The stubborn, choked voice behind, and those words, finally made Feeney turn, and in a few steps walk to Chu Zao—this was the man who at their first meeting had kicked him flying, who later treated him so harshly and inhumanly, yet now reached out and hugged Chu Zao tight.
Feeney clenched his teeth.
“Your power is still growing—”
Feeney could see the enormous potential within Chu Zao.
But it was too late for Holy Cas at this moment—far too late.
“To survive is to have hope.”
Only by surviving and unlocking all that potential—maybe in ten, twenty years, before the pollution swallows all, there may still be a chance—
This was Feeney’s last—inescapable—seed left to the future.
Feeney suddenly shoved Chu Zao away.
Chu Zao, stunned by those words, finally snapped back from his daze. With eyes opening wide, his honey-colored eyes were sullied by blood.
The little coronet atop his head was still shining bright.
On the other side, Feeney was heading toward ruin.
Chu Zao clenched his fists, trembling all over and lowering his head. Tears dripped one after another onto Holy Cas soil—
Was there no way?
Is there another way…?
If Zao Zao can do it, could he save the home he fought so hard to find…? Save his one and only true family—
Feeney was about to speak again when, suddenly, his vision blurred, as if the earth shook and mountains trembled.
Or was it blood loss dizziness?
But—something was wrong.
Sensing something amiss, Feeney’s wings snapped open, and in an instant, with Chu Zao not yet registering, Feeney had Chu Zao fully protected within his embrace, wings flaring wide, blood dripping from those white feathers—blood and dust filling Chu Zao’s nostrils.
That was the Crown Clan’s might—unyielding, even at the brink.
“What… happened?”
Feeney shielded Chu Zao, warily watching as the view ahead changed—
Like a mirage, buildings that had collapsed shortly before flickered in and out of existence, seeming about to reappear out of thin air.
The whole battlefield of blood and fire, touched by that mirage, took on a hint of lightness and brightness.
A world utterly opposite to this one.
Chu Zao, held by Feeney, could see nothing, but felt the ground tremble, an unusual scent of dust and vegetation, struggling—
“The wounded of Holy Cas are still where they were—”
Chu Zao had hardly spoken when Feeney, protecting him, suddenly seemed struck a heavy blow, frowning deeply, some wounds rapidly healing, even the coronet atop his head seeming to achieve a state between broken and whole, slowly being restored.
Chu Zao was bewildered, without a chance to ask, as Feeney collapsed unconscious upon him—
Yet even in his last conscious moment, the resolute Crown Clan spread his wings and shielded the child, and even with all his strength, Chu Zao could not pry Feeney’s hand away without hurting him.
“Uncle Feeney? Uncle Feeney—?”
Tears as large as peas rolled down, hitting the ground.
Chu Zao tried to crawl out, tried to wake the unconscious Feeney.
But nothing worked; all he could do was listen to the strange sounds at his ear, gripping his Cupid’s Bow, lowering his head—
If only he was stronger—
If only he’d found a way out of the Angel Realm sooner—
If… his own life could buy back all Uncle Feeney lost…
Shielded by the Crown Clan’s fallen wings, the little wings at his back raggedly reached forward as if to hug himself, biting down, stifling sobs, tears silently soaking the dust below.
Meanwhile—within the Royal Court of Holy Cas.
“What’s going on? Where’s this commotion coming from?”
In the council chamber, Ebinino pushed open a window, looking outside—
“You kids up to something again? Feiman! Sweet girl, don’t mix with those grubby little boys.”
“Grandfather—”
A hand lightly rested on the window sill. The girl propped herself up, sitting on the edge, bright eyes and brows, humming with laughter.
“I’m already an adult, stop calling me that—”
“For a grandfather, anyone under ten years of adulthood’s still a child—As for the adult training, I’ll handle it for you soon; nobody will dare complain.”
Ebinino patted Feiman’s head.
After the fall of the habitat, the air inside the Crown Clan was steeped in despair, yet at this moment, things were still relatively calm.
Turning, Ebinino looked at the tall man sitting at the head—the silver-black halo, known as the Demon God’s Crown, glowing faintly, beneath it, a face of extraordinary severity and cold beauty.
“Wouldn’t you agree, Your Majesty Clansis?”
“Father—don’t take your frustration with Clansis out on the children you call grubby—”
Beside Clansis, the beautiful, gentle Crown Clan woman, with clear, candid eyes, cradled her chin in her hands.
Solan looked at her father.
She suspected it was because Feiman looked so much like herself that Ebinino both adored and couldn’t help but direct some resentment onto her.
“Grandfather—who are the grubby kids?”
From the garden below, Anya, dirty and bruised from a beating, passed by, looking up at Ebinino.
Ebinino looked at Anya—his meaning clear.
“Did you upset your second brother again?”
Amos, honestly—so harsh to his younger brothers—oh, and he’s just as rough with his older brother.
Thinking of Amos’s psionic might, Ebinino tutted—what’s with that kid, even Ebinino felt he’d lose to Amos in a fight.
Anya wailed, the barely-of-age youth brushing the dust from his clothes.
“I just happened to let some bugs into second brother’s room—can’t imagine how he knew it was me?”
Ebinino: …
Frankly, you brought that on yourself.
“As for how he knew? Why not ask your all-knowing third brother?”
—Most likely Feeney snitched.
That rascal not only caused trouble himself, but was masterful at stirring things up for others.
“I’m looking for him myself—”
Anya turned his head.
“So strange—third brother’s psionic coronet was acting odd just now, but where is he? How’d he suddenly vanish?”
“Feeney is missing? Did the brat get lost again?”
Ebinino said with little surprise, but outside—what was causing such commotion—
He didn’t finish when he looked up—to see the darkened sky awash with swirls of gray and red, the taste of gunpowder and war, and further off, using the Crown Clan’s excellent sight, he could see countless Aberrant Beasts lurking, glaring hungrily at Holy Cas—
Wait—when did that horde of strange creatures reach the borders of Holy Cas?
Especially so near the imperial star?
Ebinino’s confusion lasted but a few seconds.
Behind him, all the windows flew open at once, Clansis somehow already at the window, looking up, a pair of scarlet eyes staring cruelly at the sky.
“Aberrant Beasts?”
At the same time, behind them, the royal court’s warning systems all sounded in rapid succession, quickly merging into one.
The scent in the air lingered at their noses.
The Crown Clan quickly sensed something was wrong.
“Clansis.”
Solan called from behind, her expression odd.
“The patrol found a group of seriously wounded on Ninth Central Avenue of the imperial star—they claim to be Holy Cas citizens, and others have been found elsewhere too.”
“Go see.”
Clansis unfolded his wings, stepping onto the window ledge, taking flight to look down—
A few other Crown Clan also soared to join him, gazing below.
It was too strange.
Holy Cas looked the same, but here and there stood new, crumbling ruins, buildings still aflame, the air thick with smoke and blood nearly smothering the usual scent of grass and trees across the imperial star.
Not to mention the Aberrant Beast horde overhead.
Communications reported from every planetary front of Holy Cas—even well organized, the strangeness in their voices was clear: “Reporting—in planet xxx, Aberrant Beast discovered—”
Such reports came in one after another.
Clansis finally gave the order.
“Crown Clan nearby, advance to all odd coordinates, investigate at once.”
And soon—
“Your Majesty Clansis—”
A call from the royal hall—
“Report says heavily wounded Prince Feeney has been found—”
What?
Every Crown Clan present turned to look; Solan instantly beat her wings to the window—
“Heavily wounded? What kind of wounded? Where is Feeney? Wasn’t Feeney just here in the royal court? Coordinates, tell me the coordinates now!”
“Yes, yes, Lady Solan—the coordinates have been sent; the closest should be—just left the court—Prince Amos.”
“Amos? Child—” Solan said into the comms, “Do you see this? Go to these coordinates, see if it’s your brother, see what happened, who did this—”
It was a long pause before the reply came.
“Understood—mother, don’t call me child.”
The voice was calm and steady, at ease even in these times.
“If Feeney could be beaten into such a state so easily, I’d suggest increasing his time in the training room—”
Amos, who had been on a starship about to head out, now disembarked, slicing through the swarming, advancing Aberrant Beasts surrounding him as if reaping weeds, already knowing something was wrong. He ordered the Ninth Army Group to return, and he himself speedily flew toward the coordinates.
At this point Amos still had a youthful air, his temperament not yet fully settled and there was still some wild arrogance. He raised his hand, silver-black light forming a powerful psionic longsword in his grip.
What a pain—Feeney.
Amos thought lazily.
He’d expected at most to find a brother who’d blundered into Aberrant Beasts, merely lost and battered.
He didn’t expect, when he reached the target coordinates, to see throngs of Holy Cas survivors crowding around, voices crying and shouting, a nearby pharmacy moving out medicines, basins of blood-soaked bandages brought out while fresh water was carried in.
“Hurry, hurry—still unconscious, dehydrated, no supplements—faster—”
“Oh God, Prince Feeney, is that Prince Feeney? How did he end up like this—”
“It must be—the blood’s been wiped off and I still can’t see well—was he sheltering someone? Can you make it out?”
“No—the view’s blocked—Prince Feeney? Wake up, Prince Feeney!”
“Damn it, who did this?! I’ll make them pay!!!!”
The turmoil and chaos on the street below, the noisy voices and sobbing, the calls all mingled together.
Hovering above, Amos paused, his casual look shifting slightly.
He finally realized just how wrong things were————
Feeney’s situation appeared far more serious?