Chapter 27: Celestial Matters

-Inner Soul Space-

"So, did your words perhaps escape you?" Lezo looked at Nivril waiting for him to say something.

"…No, I was just shocked by the sudden shift. It seems things can't just work out in my life most of the time, I really shouldn't have been surprised." Nivril was still under immense pressure, and the looming presence of death hung on his neck, but in the end, he was never one to allow himself to give in to death, regardless of the situation.

"Don't you say? If that's the case, you might have a greater future waiting for you. It's a mark of greatness to face challenges far above you. Unfortunately, your story will come to an end here." Lezo raised his hand and the cloud in the sky parted as if readying the stage for a moment.

"I'm a bit of a dreamer, so I don't believe in letting others tell my story for me, that's something that I can do myself. Listen, I know you must hate Darkios for what he did to you, but I am not him, I'm just someone who might inherit his position." Nivril expressed cold sweat building up and he trembled nearing falling to his knees, and something told him the enemy was purposely going easy.

"Foolish, do you think that just because you haven't inherited the position yet, this has nothing to do with you?

"Don't make me laugh, the moment you accepted to become a candidate everything from the benefits to the problems left behind by that bastard, they are yours now. So step up or die. It seems you already made your choice, though, what a pity." Lezo shook his head and his expression contorted into disgust as well as disappointment before he slowly brought his hand down.

As he did so the space around them was distorted and cracked, multiple images of different in a sort of warped replay one on each cracked piece of space, all ending in this moment like a conversion point. Drawn to it.

(Of course, he's cutting through space with his bare hand… what's next time?… wait… are those reflections in the cracks timelines?… Is everything thing in this world absurd?!… I'm going to die and here I am thinking about how absurd it all is…

(Maybe I should have lived differently? No, I'm going to live my way. Death does not come as the end for me, I'll make it, somehow. So long as I put my faith exactly where I've always put it, I'll find a way. After all, in the end, I can only believe in one thing with certainty, myself.) Nivril smiled as the attack cut through and consumed him before going further beyond.

In that act of greater destruction, Lezo's hand broke all the space in front of him, leaving something of a space-time crack in a straight line spanning infinity.

"What a boring kid, but he's not the worst of them all. I hope things turn out much more interesting though…" Lezo sighed still disappointed, but there was a smile on his face as he spoke.

"As for you, demon, you better behave, I have not killed you out of courtesy for a friend, so I don't recommend causing me trouble." Lezo turned his attention to Lorus as he spoke.

_________________________________________

-???-

Far away distant from everything happening to Nivril, there was another plane of existence separate from the rest but connected to them all, one known as the Celestial Realm, where those who had long since shed their mortality and ascended to the lowest state of what humans would refer to as Godhood.

The place was like a dream, a palace of unimaginable grandiose, a place where the mind could thrive on sheer the beauty around, as the corridors and rooms stretched on and on completely disregarding the ideas of conventional space in an act of spatial transcendentality.

In this otherworldly plane, a neutral area known only as the Cosmic Council Of Reality, and the celestial dimension of this organization many sub-sections of it could be found, one of them being the Cosmic Council of Time Division.

About to pass this place, and head to the Cosmic Council of Communication division was an imposing man wearing long black robes covered in gold and a gold-decorated wooden cane, he looked young despite it. Dark skin, short black hair, and amber eyes. On his shoulders was a black snake.

(Image Here)

(What beautiful a day I find myself on, wonder just how much I'll be able to get from the Harem Palace's selective Wh*res after the commented crime? Hum… quite a bit I imagine, I should probably impose on them, or they might take me too lightly, after all, even I can't invade them, however, it's not like I can't take attention against them, they are in my hands now.) He thought to himself a smile appearing on his face as he decided.

Just as he was passing by the Cosmic Council of Time Division, a small white figure wearing oily clothes full of cogs and an oily hat full of clocks with a few even floating around them.

"Oh if it isn't my favorite Celestial Duke, Solomon of all individuals here, what might I owe this marvel, deary?" The oily-hatted person spoke with a wide smile.

(Damn it! Of course, all the individuals I could meet here, why did it have to be one of the hundreds of millions who rank above me? The infinity of time and space should be such that I would never have to deal with this….) Solomon thought to himself as he forced a smile and then said.

"Celestial Lord, Chronoa, what an honor to be in your presence. I had heard you were down below in a lower-tier plane dealing with mortals. It must have been a horrible experience to have to deal with such lesser beings."

"You surely jester, my dear. I am one for all, one can not forget that. Oh, and please call me Mad Hatter, Chronoa is such an outdated name, it reminds me of times far gone." The Mad Hatter replied with their smile never fading away.

"Of course, your Excellency, I'm rather outdated on the larger landscape of things these days. If you'll excuse me, however, I have matters to attend to with some urgency." Solomon slightly bowed to the Mad Hatter as he talked.

"Yes, you are free to go. Oh, and remember, while taking care of your oh-so-urgent matters, don't bite more than you can chew, you'll regret it quite badly. Bye-bye." The Mad Hatter left their presence vanishing with them.

(I've worked for so long to stand where I do, and some of these clowns are just born into the greatest, how disheartening. Anyway, let us not worry about that, I've got much to win today.) He moved on until he got to the Cosmic Council of Communication division.

"Welcome to the Cosmic Council of Communication division, Celestial Sir. How may I help you?" As soon as he got there he was addressed by a receptionist, and he bowed his head.

"I have a comn marked for the time under Solomon, Celestial Duke Of The 72 Demons, and a sage of knowledge." Solomon responded.

"Of course, before I confirm though, per protocol I must ask. Is the nature of the comn simply spatial or is it also temporal?" The receptionist asked.

"Spatial, just spatial." Solomon rolled his eyes as he replied.

From then on, the receptionist opened some sort of holographic screen and confirmed everything before taking him in and guiding him past the public rooms with a bunch of noise all the way to a private room.

"Here is your comn room, sir. If you need anything during your stay feel free to call for me, thank you for choosing us." The receptionist kept his smile throughout.

"Yeah, I know. Here, you can go, and don't disturb me if anyone comes looking for me." Solomon put some sort of coin on the receptionist's hand as he spoke.

"Of course, sir. One last thing, all calls made In our facility are encrypted and it constitutes a cosmic crime to attempt and decode them." The receptionist left.

"Finally." Solomon closed himself in his private room as the door blended into the wall after it was closed.

Inside there was a table with some food and drinks, a sofa, and a big screen.

Sitting on the sofa, Solomon opened a holographic screen and pressed the start button, which turned on the big screen and initiated a call.

After a few seconds, the call was answered, and on the other side of the screen was a young woman with a transparent look, and rainbow colors to her hair.

"Celestial Marquis, Sophy, The Sistemata, I know you were on multiple shifts, but I didn't know you became public service. Maybe things would have been easier had you taken my offer instead." Solomon said upon seeing her.

[Report. Celestial Duke Solomon, to what do I owe the honor?] Sophy ignored his comment and simply asked.

"How cold, after everything we've been through and you're this formal? How unfortunate, but it's quite simply really, under cosmic law your little hidden palace of women owe me compensation. Your newest would-be heir killed my last descendant for good." Solomon said calmly with a smirk on his face.

[Response. Allow to check the record…. Process complete. Your assessment is incorrect.] She replied.

(What?… I'm sure of it, I lost full connection to him, nothing in that lower plane would be able to do that unless he got killed. Something's off here…

(Did they teach Sophy how to lie? I don't put it beyond that Darkios bastard! I wish I could have been the one to kill him, but that would have been impossible, even now I'm too weak for that.) Solomon got serious and sat upright.

"Explain, the family seal I left in him points to this." Solomon looked at her waiting for an answer.

[Response. The Sovereign Of Hoarding has your descendant. I hope you understand what that means. He has no direct affliction with us. So people direct your qualms to him.] Sophy clarified her expression somber.

"Direct my qualms to him? I'm too young to die. I still have many more eons to live thank you. Anyway, since I'm here, I'll offer again. Come to my side, you gain nothing just sitting there throughout all time waiting for some prince that will never reach you.

"Darkios might have been a b*tch, but he was still a Ruler, no mortal would ever be able to live up to that, even I wasn't, so let go of that delusion and we could be great together, just like back then." Solomon's eyes turned soft and he asked with his hand extended to her.

[Response. I… That's... Thank you for the offer. I can't…. [Communication Terminated.]] Sophy frowned and bit her lips looking around before she sighed answered and terminated the call before any more could be said.

Not saying a word Solomon just sat there in silence, however, if one were to pay close attention it was noticeable that he was holding his cane with veins popping up on his hand.

After a bit, he let out a sigh and left the room.

As he made his way, he ended up listening to a conversation between two employees there.

"I mean, the man didn't even pay for a holographic room, instead going for a screen room. Come on, he's a frikin Celestial Duke, there's no way he can't afford it. I thought I was cheap but this guy just wins to a new level." The receptionist from before told some of his colleagues as they seemed to be on a break.

"Hahahaha! That's crazy, if I had that kind of money you would never see me in a screen room."

"That's such a deal breaker, and I used to think all the Celestial Dukes were such legends, but I guess they are worse than us."

"I mean, I don't know, feel like a good plan to not go around spending like crazy. Just sounds logical to spare where you can, even if you are rich."

"He's not just rich! He's rich rich! I'm sure that if he paid for a holographic room for everyone in this place right now 10 times over, he would still be able to live eons without lifting a finger." The receptionist added.

They all continued to laugh and talk, however soon they felt a chilling presence, and as soon as they turned to look, there he was, Solomon, looking down at them.

"Celestial Duke sir, I was-" There was no time to explain anything as his head just exploded, and so did the other two, leaving only the last one of them alive.

"Clean it up," Solomon ordered before leaving.

The last one left was screaming and shouting with tears coming from his eyes until he realized something, their heads were still attached to their bodies they were simply knocked out.

"He didn't kill them… it was just kill intent… I think I need a longer break." His legs lost strength as he sat on the floor in his sullied pants, but he was not alone as his unconscious colleagues had experienced the same.

It was a rather tough day for them, that one.