(This chapter was uploaded on Saturday 25/May/2024 3:00 PM, timezone GMT+3)
('1), ('2), ('3), etc. means that there is some explaining for the thing in the notes at the end of the chapter.
"..." small moment of silence
"Talking"
[Different Language Dialogue] (What language it is: Accent if necessary) (For this chapter, they are speaking Japanese. There will be no reason to differentiate languages)
"He-" Someone was interrupted.
'Thinking'
{Skills' names, chanting, spell keys and spells' names}
(PoV)
(Flashback)
Don't shy from commenting on typos and/or inconsistencies. That and/or suggesting a modification to certain things that didn't make sense to you.
I hope you enjoy reading this chapter.
(Line Break)
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"..."
Nothing was said between the occupants of this space for a while.
"So, we meet again, Nephelont. You seem to have a knack for breaking the barrier between worlds" The higher being that helped Nephelont the last time was present here.
"And I love it!" Nephelont said in sarcasm. He hated it. Even more so when he considered Eucleia's worry. After around 9 and a half years together, Nephelont understood something about Eucleia. She was obsessed with him, and that obsession might have worsened by his 6-year-long absence. What he failed to notice was that he also developed his side of the obsession.
"Worry not, Nephelont. Your falna will stay untouched as goddess Hestia's shard was the one who put it there. Goddess Hestia approved of you travelling outside the lower realm of your world with her shard's falna. Through your falna, goddess Hestia's shard will tell your wife about your survival" The higher being assured Nephelont and his children.
"That's a relief. Thank you, sir" Nephelont sighed, still uncomfortable. What he did not know was that the lower realm would have ceased to exist if Hestia and Hephaestus did not calm Eucleia down.
"Moving to a more pressing matter, we will now talk about your travelling between worlds" The higher being said.
"What about it? Maybe a way to go back to our world this time around?" Nephelont said, considering the lower realm his world, having already forgotten the one before it.
"Before we touch on that subject, I need to tell you that divine spirits, beings with more authority than mine, have tried to summon Augustus. He will be summoned to the same world, along with the other three who were dragged along like you did. Although, for you alone, you will be sent to an entirely different world than the four of your children. And for that reason, I cannot return you to your world" The higher being said. It was not spoken but the higher being sounded apologetic.
"Is there an alternative way, then?" Nephelont asked the higher being.
"An indirect and long route, yes. Now, as you were not in the right mental state last time, I chose your wish for you. This time, however, you get to choose one yourself. Of course, this treatment is exclusive to mortals. Your children, as demi-gods, will not receive it" The higher being clarified something important. "Now, choose one thing other than returning to your world"
"Can I choose something like altering the properties of our race?" Nephelont referred to his draconic side.
"That can be. So?" The higher being awaited Nephelont's answer with bated breath. There was a timer in place, and it was ticking.
"Can you make it so we could sense each other's presence behind the barrier to other worlds and teleport past it?" Nephelont dreamt big, enough for reality to catch up.
"The problem with that is the barrier's nature. It only allows those who either died, were summoned, or people who have divine or demonic powers. The first option throws you into a random world. The second option sends you to where the summoner wants and locks you there until a certain condition of the summoner's choosing was met. As for the third option, it would require you to either ascend some capacity or decimate a world and erase it from existence, respectively. There is a way to bypass that condition, and that is by a deity or a great demon coating your soul in their respective energy. In doing so, leaving a world using the third option, you forfeit all rights to ascend through methods of the world you left, forever. Do you still want that for your wish?" The higher being explained.
"I can work on that since ascension is possible in some worlds. As for the reason I asked for this now, Eucleia would need it more than me. With it, she could come find me whenever she wants to" Nephelont knew that she would come find him first chance she got.
"See you all later, and good luck" The higher being said as 2 cracks leading to 2 different worlds were now opened. The time finally reached its end. Nephelont and the children were dragged into the spaces containing the worlds they were summoned to.
"I want to ask you, sir. Did you really need to use your privilege again to convince goddess Hestia? You gain nothing if he does not fully ascend throughout his journey" The higher being's aid nagged him as they were preparing for the next soul.
"I told you before, did I not? He caught my interest as he grew on me over time. And I gain something if he does ascend" The higher being then brushed aside his aide's worries as he started helping another soul cross the barrier.
(Some time ago) (3rd person PoV)
"That tickles! Bunbun!" Eucleia was cuddling with Nephelont as they lay under a tree, watching a clone of his play with 5 boys, Ignis, Sebastos, Clementine (Here, it ends with a more male-oriented spelling of the name as it comes with an e rather than an a), Cocoa and Cinnamon, who are their second children.
Ignis acted like a mini-Agni and caused chaos in the name of pranks. Sebastos was a mirrored image of Augustus, who were both out for the naughty sibling in their age-group. Clementine took after Clementina and spent time reading her favorite romance stories. Cocoa and Cinnamon, who were the eldest of the 5 were Thumper's reflection.
The difference between the 5 boys and their 4 elder siblings was that they only differed slightly between the 5 of them. They still acted like children their age, even to the point where Sebastos enjoyed accompanying his brothers in some mischief, if only occasionally, where Augustus would stand in Agni's way whenever she was trying to go on one of her escapades.
"Then stay still, my Clea. The only reason I did that was because you kept looking back to make sure I'm still there" Nephelont said with a smile that stretched from one ear to the other. He enjoyed watching Eucleia's face redden when she involuntarily laughed after he tickled her sides.
"Why is that?" Nephelont whispered right into her ear, making her melt on his lap, where she was sitting with her shrunk body.
Even though he enjoyed teasing her, he knew when to stop. If he went any further, there were consequences... Well, they were happy consequences if you looked at them from a certain perspective.
"Haah" Eucleia sighed. It was fueled both by the fact that he stopped playing with her and because of the worry that started plaguing her after she woke up this morning.
"To be honest with you, Bunbun, I had felt dreadful since we woke up today. I had this nagging feeling that I may not see you for the latter half of the day. Was there a plan Allen had a hand in without my knowledge?" She was told of Allen's existence, and only her and Ais. Not Bell, not anyone else was told aside from his mother and wife, and they swore secrecy to it.
"I will let them talk to you, then" Nephelont said as he passed control of the physical aspect of his being to his other persona.
"Nephelont hid nothing from you, that we are sure of. Although, it is a worry when you feel tha-" Allen were cut off. Nephelont's body went limp as a flash of light sucked in all of Augustus and his clone, followed by the invisible 3 in Thumper, Agni and Clementina, then followed them by sucking in the real Nephelont and dispelling his other clones. Agni's clone, the one the 5 boys were playing with, was also dispelled.
(The next day)
Eucleia did not remember what happened afterwards. Even her reaction was forgotten to her.
She woke up to the discomfort of their empty bed, Nephelont's smell still fresh in it. That somehow kept her mind at ease while she slept. But that ended when she regained consciousness. It resulted in her panicking.
"Bunbun?!" She bolted awake, her body overpowering the spell around the mansion and enlarging to its originally gigantic size. She was in dragon form, much to her own surprise.
"Eucleia, my daughter" She heard her mother's voice and hoped Hephaestus would have an answer to where her husband disappeared to. She had the urge to know where he was, noticing his hiding his spiritual signal even from her, or what appeared to her to be the case. She did not want to believe it, that he was hiding from her, but the reason to think that way was there.
"Allow me to explain in your mother's place" They both heard a voice that had connotations of neither age nor gender.
The other family members who were in the room to check on her were on high alert.
"No worries. I am a being residing outside this world. I am using my powers to send a voice representing me here, overpowering any of yours while it is in the air. I came to tell the lady that her husband and four children were taken to two separate worlds. The children were taken to a world where they would play a heroic role of saving it. As for the husband, Nephelont, that man was taken to a closed world where he would live for some time. Do not worry, as I will give you the ability to cross dimensions upon his request. You could visit a world that you were to before or one where you sense the spiritual signal of one of your family members. You will instinctively know how to use it once you think about it. And for now, you will only be able to visit them after Nephelont is done with his adventure, when I tell you. As for the children, the time in that world stopped flowing for reasons I cannot disclose. If you went there, your time would stop flowing as well. You will not feel the separation and will be able to meet him as soon as he is done" The higher being's voice finished what it was assigned and ceased to exist.
As soon as he was done, Eucleia silently turned invisible. She took her human form and wore clothes to replace the ones she was wearing prior. She waited no longer and tried opening a crack in the barrier between worlds and finding Nephelont.
The barrier between worlds denied her entry. It told her that if she entered, she would be sent to an alternate reality where Nephelont does not exist. In a desperate attempt to keep herself from the pain of their separation, she changed directions to the world where their older children were sent.
"Sorry, mother, father, but I will be going to the world with stopped time. I-I... I cannot bear the weight of the separation... Sorry..." She took one last glance and saw what she knew her parents would have, sad smiles. They will suffer some separation, but their sad smiles were accepting ones. They were telling her to go and return when she could to tell them how happy she was.
Eucleia smiled as tears streamed down her face. She took the 5 boys with her as she stepped foot in the crack leading to the world the older children were sent to but was stopped by a voice.
"Lia" It was her father's voice. "If you meet him before coming to us first, then tell him to prepare his hair. I and Hephaestus will make a pair of super scissors that will surely meet no trouble when cutting his hair!" Welf recovered quickly. He put a goal before him and a promise at the end of that goal. It made him feel somewhat better with the expectations it gave him.
"I will, dad" Eucleia said as she passed through the crack, and promptly stopped moving, breathing, even thinking. Her time had stopped on the other side as the crack closed behind her.
"Did she just call me 'dad' for the first time in almost 4 decades after being born? She did, didn't she?" Welf, stupefied, asked as if he expected them to tell him that he hallucinated it. He was in denial, but it dawned on him a moment later that Eucleia really said it.
"We have things to do, dear. You promised her a pair of scissors for Nephelont. Let's go and think of what material, melting process, hammering steps, where to hammer, and many other things. We will... keep trying until they return, right?" Hephaestus started strong but the wind was taken off her sail as she went. Welf looked at her back as she walked in front of him and saw a tired back staring back at him. Hephaestus had doubts about what she herself said.
"Look at you, Hephaestus. You are the one with eternal life here. You will see them return" Welf knew that he should not stop there, lest he brought her hammerful wrath upon himself. "And we have Henryk's insistence to thank for my longevity. I'm more likely to see them come back before any grey hair grows on my head!" Welf boisterously said as he took the lead. "Now, let's go and start working on those damn scissors!" He held her hand and pulled her along. A small smile made its way to Hephaestus's face.
Once Bell, Ais and the rest of their relatives were told of the news, they wore hopeful expressions. Aria and Albert were the most affected, as both lost their cute grandchild and 4 of their cute great-grandchildren. The promise of return was reassuring, however, and it kept them from trying to break some rules of the lower realm.
(AN: Gods know that Albert and Aria broke the rules multiple times without suffering any punishment. #1: They had a child when Aria was a spirit, a being incapable of giving birth at all. #2: Somehow, they sent Ais through time and into the future. #3: Albert was revived and was as young as he was when he died, preventing his rebirth from occurring just a year after.... and so on and so forth. Need I say more?)
Lionheart and Meteria were also trying to find things to do. But for them, especially for Lionheart, they knew that Lionheart's skill will make sure of Nephelont's return. It was impossible for him not to return.
The rest of the familia helped them restore what was lost due to Eucleia's sudden rampage, something which destroyed their familia's properties. It almost went out of control and extended to the whole of Orario if not for Ouranos's approval for Hephaestus and Hestia to use their arcanum. If not, no one would have stood a chance of putting Eucleia to rest and bringing her back to her mind.
Ouranos's approval came at a cost, the arcanum output spent on keeping the dungeon calm was made higher and he was almost too tired to keep it up afterwards. To his delight, he could return to his usual output before it was too late.
(Modern-day earth, 20xx) (Nephelont's PoV)
I started stirring awake but turned sideways. My palm landed on my bedding, something that felt like hard sand. I opened my eyes groggily, noting that it was at night here, and that what my hands touched, was in fact, dirt.
A quick look at my surroundings made me think that I was transported to a garden of sorts, a public one judging by the individual houses erected around it and the lights strewn about.
'Heh. Good thing I was transported here while shrunk down. Surely would have been a disaster if some governmental body thought me a threat and wanted me removed'
'Gwyn, please help me look around the premises. And if possible, help me contact the locals in a more natural manner'
'I will be on it now, physical body' Gwyn diligently started working. Gwyn is the instinct assigned to help me control light, one of many instincts that were assigned roles that were vacant at first.
'Ariel, you too help by scanning the sound through the air around us' I asked of Ariel, an instinct assigned to helping me with the control of air and the wind.
'I will, physical body' Ariel started by scanning the traces that were left from prior movements.
"Now, what should I do?" I asked myself aloud as I also looked around using light arts. I walked out of the trees and onto a path made of neatly arranged cobblestone.
'That light is of my mortal enemy, the sun. It's getting brighter, morning. The breeze is a lot warmer than Orario's and feels to have potential to get hotter'
I just stood there with my arms spread, feeling the comfortably warm breeze. I waited until the sun rose above the horizon, at least half of it.
'Found something, Gwyn? Ariel?'
'Allow me to interrupt, physical body' The instinct assigned to managing my mind, Miranda, intervened. 'This country... no, this world has no mana in the atmosphere, for starters. There are no mana devices that exist, either. Every light illuminating this place is using electricity. Although it is utilizing electricity much better than what Henryk's projects did'
'There is also the fact that the written language here is that of the far east' Gwyn started talking right after Miranda finished her part. 'It is apparently called Japanese here, coming from the country's name, Japan, an island country to the east of the map. You are currently in a place called Akihabara.
It seems that everyone here rides horseless carriages made of metal, cars as Henryk told us about them. We may be in a reality that is similar to his in some aspects.
There was nothing else I could gather unless I invaded others' privacy'
'As for the air, it is polluted. There is an excess of smoke-like gas in the air. Aside from that, there was nothing much to gather in the air. Nothing happened around us for the last hours. From what little is happening now, the spoken language is far-eastern language' Ariel followed.
'Many thanks, the three of you. That information was plenty'
Since this was a public property, and since I enjoyed the sun's warmth in spite of our enmity, I sat on a bench and closed my eyes for a bit. Using my wind arts, I listened in on the conversations people were having in public places. I avoided those who clearly wanted secrecy, listening only to those who spoke loudly.
"Ritsuka, what did I say about eating breakfast? You will be shorter than your sister if you don't eat properly" That was the voice of a mother sending her kid with a 'car' filled with a group of similarly clothed kids. Maybe they are studying in the same space, seeing as the flying school district that passed over Orario for some time had its uniforms.
"See you later! Mom! Dad!" A kid with black hair and sanpaku black eyes that looked like his mother's waved goodbye as he was boarding what his father called a bus a moment earlier. That was the 'car' the earlier kid boarded.
"Huh? Who are you?" That... That was the voice of someone talking to me. The person who owned that voice appeared to be the same age as Gust and the others.
He was a young man with black hair and vibrant green eyes that brimmed with curiosity. He was inspecting me as if I was a wonder of this world.
Now, some may not see a problem with this innocent question of his, but that was where the problem lay. His cheeks were dusted with a pinkish hue. He was blushing and I knew my voice wouldn't help my case.
"Maybe you should catch up before you are late to school? We can talk after you come back" I said to the boy as I signaled to where a wristwatch would go on my arm.
"Ah! Thank you for reminding me! I hope to see you later!" The young man bowed to me, much like far-easterners would. He then ran off in the direction I assume to be that of his school.
I sat there without purpose, really. I was lost without a goal to strive for. In a world, at least in this country, where a person can be that innocent and naive at his age, where children could smile so brightly, there may not be much use for my strength and less so for my abilities.
'Hunter, Arsalan, Gwyn, Ariel, keep watch. I want to sleep for a bit'
The 4 of them were on alert as I dosed off. I will try getting a job tomorrow. Or maybe I could just hunt wild animals and eat them?
'Yeah! Who needs a job when you are not human to begin with!'
(End of Chapter)
Bad news, for me at least. The first through the sixth lessons do not involve what my fanfics are currently going for. I will need to take notes for the lessons after that to be able to apply them in my fanfics.
More bad news for me, I needed to convince my stubborn parents that writing is not completely hopeless as a career, not that I will rely solely on it for a living. As a result, I was unable to start taking those lessons until the day this chapter was uploaded. I will need to squeeze in more lessons in the time I have left before returning to the story I put on hiatus.
Now, onto the chapter. Let's make things clear. The boy he talked to was a 15 year old Iwatani Naofumi, the future shield hero. As for the kid with sanpaku eyes, that was Natsuki Subaru, the most un/fortunate teen in anime. There will be changes to the future events of both worlds the Japanese kids travel to as a result of Nephelont's interference with their lives. And yes, Subaru's phone is a smart phone this time. I will do a very neat thing with it, inspired by "Subaru's Metia" on Fanfiction . net, made by SoulOfPerseverance.
There is nothing more that I want to say now.... Yeah, I forgot this tidbit for a second there. I know that Nephelont is overly overpowered. It does not stop there. He gets more powerful over his travels. I mean, what do you expect of someone who will keep ascending to godhood through a gradual and long-drawn process?
Have a great time, ladies and gentlemen.