Asterion had said what he wanted to say. And Nephis had, too.
In the end, the champions of the Human Domain were unconvinced. Their faith in Changing Star remained unshaken despite the Dreamspawn's efforts. As for their wariness of a new conflict between two Supres... on one hand, those fears were put to rest. It did not seem like there would be another violent war — at least not anyti soon.
However, at the sa ti, it was clear that there was a deep animosity between their ruler and the last of the original Sovereigns. More than that, even if Nephis had not outright called Asterion a threat, she made it clear that he was not an ally to humanity. That he could not be trusted.
So had known it, already. Others were only learning it now.
In any case, the council had served its purpose. The leading figures of the Human Domain had been inford of the situation and witnessed a verbal clash between the Supres with their own eyes. Eventually, they were dismissed and left the Immortal Fla manor.
Only a few people stayed behind.
On one side of the hall, Nephis and the mbers of her cohort remained in their seats. Across from them, Asterion was still leaning back in his chair, his legs crossed. Sunny quietly erged from the shadows.
"Did you enjoy yourself?"
Asterion gave him an amused glance.
“Enjoy myself?"
He pondered the question for a short while.
"No... not particularly. To be honest, I don't really enjoy much of anything — unless I rember to make myself enjoy it."
The answer solidified Sunny's suspicion that Asterion did not experience emotions as ordinary people did. In fact, it seed that he did not feel anything at all — perhaps he had always been that way, or maybe it was the result of having purposefully neutered his heart with the powers of his Aspect. Now, Asterion only seed to feel emotions that he chose to conjure... or stole, like a sinister spirit that fed on the emotions of the others.
Sunny sighed.
“That's a pity. I hoped that at least sobody would enjoy that distasteful performance."
Asterion chuckled.
"Well, I'll have to admit it then. It was a bit fun, ruffling your feathers like that."
He looked at Effie.
“Saint Athena, it is a pleasure to see you again. We didn't get a chance to chat the last ti... how is your son? Little Ling is such a precious boy. I hear that he is busy studying right now."
Effie regarded him in silence, then looked away with a somber expression.
"You really talk a lot, don't you?"
Asterion shrugged.
“Do I? Well, perhaps. I spent close to decades on the Moon, after all. I couldn't even escape into the Dream Realm or be expelled from this dreary world by its laws, all because of the Unholy thing that dwells there. And as you can imagine, it was not exactly a good conversation partner. In fact, all I could do was hide and pray that it doesn't find — so, forgive for finding joy in simple things like talking."
He smiled.
“Ah, but you didn't answer my..."
However, at that mont, Nephis finally interrupted him in a cold tone:
“I just don't understand what you are counting on."
Asterion looked at her in surprise.
"You don't? Oh, my... and there I was, thinking that I explained my plans quite clearly. Considering that you haven't been able to offer any aningful resistance, I'd say I am doing well."
Nephis studied him impassively.
“So, what is your plan, exactly? Spread your influence slowly, enthrall more and more people, then drive into a corner when all of humanity has beco encompassed by your Domain?"
Asterion grinned.
"Well... yes. Roughly, that is the plan."
She remained silent for a short while, then sighed.
“You weren't wrong, though. About . About how I only care about my personal goal — that goal being conquering the Nightmare Spell."
He raised an eyebrow.
"So?"
Nephis looked at him evenly.
“So what do you think I will do when humanity ceases to be my responsibility and becos an obstacle that stands in my way instead?"
Asterion looked at her with interest.
“What? Will you burn all these pitiful people that you've chosen to protect to ash?"
Nephis just stared at him silently.
Then, she raised an eyebrow.
“You think I won't?"
A faint, eerie smile twisted her lips. Asterion seed to frown a little at the sight of that smile.
He chuckled.
"Don't tell that you took what I said about you being the Star of Ruin seriously. Then again, I guess extinction is also a change..."
He lingered for a few monts, then shrugged.
“I guess we will see when the ti cos. You will be a Supre only in na by then, anyway, while my Domain will have beco staggering and imnse. With a Domain like that, even dealing with carriers of Divine Aspects like you three shouldn't be much of a problem."
Asterion shifted his gaze to Sunny and studied him with a look of regret.
“Of course, I'd much prefer to devour you instead of simply destroying you. But, to be honest, I have never enthralled a Supre before... I am not even sure that it's possible. We'll see about that, too."
With that, he rose from his chair and looked at them, his gaze lingering on Cassie for a few monts.
Then, Asterion bowed.
"So, what do you think? Do you regret making that bet yet?"
Chuckling quietly, he turned around and walked out of the hall, leaving an oppressive silence behind him.
As soon as Asterion disappeared from sight, his shadow seed to vanish from Sunny's senses, as well, as if it had never existed at all.
He let out a heavy sigh.
‘This went about as well as expected.'
"Do you rember how we wanted to stall for ti while searching for a way to deal with that creepy guy?"
Sunny turned and looked at his friends with a dark expression.
“I think the ti we thought we had was just reduced by half."
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