Dad...?

In the dimly lit aftermath of the cosmic clash, as the echoes of malevolent laughter dissipated into the winds, a swirling portal materialized, revealing the enigmatic figure of Ragna. With a warmth seldom seen from the stoic mentor, Ragna embraced Alex tightly, a prideful glint in his keen eyes.

"I can't believe you actually defeated a council member," Ragna remarked, genuine admiration etched across his face.

Alex, though worn from the battle, met Ragna's gaze with a nod of determination. "He escaped," he replied, acknowledging the transient nature of their victory.

Sensing the imminent threat lingering in Hyousetsu, Ragna spoke with urgency. "We are no longer safe here." With a subtle gesture, Ragna conjured a portal that yawned open into the abyss, a realm where shadows held sway.

As they stepped through the portal, the landscape shifted from the once frost-laden expanse of Hyousetsu to the mysterious abyss that enveloped them. The ambient darkness seemed to welcome the duo, offering refuge from the cosmic forces that pursued them.

Once within the abyss, Ragna turned his attention to Alex's injuries. With a calm authority, he assessed the damage – a broken nose and a few cracked ribs. "Say the word, and the abyss will solve the rest," Ragna offered, a glint of reassurance in his eyes.

"Heal," Alex uttered the command, and in response, a warm, golden aura emanated from the depths of the abyss. It enshrouded him, caressing his battered form with a soothing touch. The ethereal glow worked its way through his broken nose and cracked ribs, mending the injuries with a gentle but potent force.

As the golden radiance permeated his being, Alex felt an immediate sense of relief. The pain that had accompanied him from the battle in Hyousetsu gradually subsided, replaced by a renewed vitality. The abyss, with its mystical energies, responded to the command, restoring not only his physical wounds but also rejuvenating his spirit.

Ragna, observing the healing process with a nod of approval, spoke with a measured tone. "The abyss is a realm of potent energies, shaped by the will of those who command it. In here, healing is not just a mending of the body; it's a communion with the very essence of the shadows."

Alex, still basking in the residual warmth of the healing aura, nodded in appreciation. The abyss, though enigmatic and often foreboding, had proven itself as a sanctuary in times of need. With their immediate concerns addressed, Ragna and Alex stood in the profound darkness, contemplating their next move.

Amidst the silent expanse of the abyss, where shadows whispered and time seemed suspended, Alex's curiosity stirred like a flame seeking fuel. He turned to Ragna, his eyes reflecting the shimmering darkness, and posed the question that lingered in the aftermath of their clash with the cosmic entity in Hyousetsu.

"Ragna, tell me more about these council members, these Celestials. Who are they, and why would they send their envoys to deal with a realm like Hyousetsu?" Alex's voice resonated with a blend of curiosity and determination, echoing in the vast emptiness of the abyss.

Ragna, standing amidst the shadows with a certain heaviness in his gaze, sighed before beginning a tale that transcended realms and epochs. "The Celestials, as they're commonly known, are beings of immense power, each wielding a unique cosmic ability. For generations, they stood as guardians and rulers, maintaining a delicate balance across the vastness of the cosmos."

The elder figure paused, his eyes reflecting distant memories. "It was during the reign of Celestials 445 that the harmony was fracture. The cosmos flourished, and peace prevailed until a group of ten beings arrived with ambitions to seize control from the Celestials."

As Ragna recounted the events of Celestials 445, the very air seemed to resonate with the echoes of a bygone era. "They demanded rule, and when denied, their coordinated assault left no room for negotiation. The Celestials fought valiantly, but the invaders were cunning and ruthless. Each Celestial fell, save for me."

A sombre note crept into Ragna's voice as he continued, "I was away from the Celestials at that time, unaware of the impending threat. When I returned, I found the realm in chaos. The invaders held my child hostage, extracting its mana and callously tossing the lifeless form towards me. In my grief, they exploited my vulnerability, stabbing me while my focus was shattered."

The shadows seemed to deepen as Ragna's narrative unfolded, and the weight of past sorrows hung in the abyssal air. Alex listened intently, absorbing the tale of betrayal and loss that defined Ragna's existence.

"In those fleeting moments, with my child's life slipping away, they sought to extract my mana. Yet, even in the throes of despair, they failed. The agony and the remnants of my child's essence acted as a shield. It was a price paid in anguish, but it preserved a fragment of what they sought to extinguish."

Ragna continued, his voice resonating with an air of revelation, "While you were conquering Hyousetsu, I uncovered a deeper truth. The Monarch you faced was merely concealing the true power that lay beneath the icy surface. The celestial forces had sealed my former self, my true form, underneath the frozen layers, and a seal was placed on the false Monarch to maintain the illusion. It was only when the seal was tampered with that the real Monarch emerged, prompting my warning for you to escape."

As Ragna concluded his revelation, the abyss resonated with a profound silence, the tale hanging in the shadows like a tapestry woven with threads of tragedy and defiance. The echoes of Celestials 445 lingered, shaping the narrative of cosmic upheaval that had forged Ragna's indomitable spirit in the crucible of loss.

In the ominous abyss, Ragna's voice echoed with a haunting resonance as he began to unveil the enigmatic tale of his descent into Hell. The shadows clung to his form, emphasizing the weight of his narrative, each word resonating with the tormented echoes of his past.

"I woke up finding myself in Hell," Ragna's voice, a low murmur, carried the weight of eons. The abyss responded with a subtle ripple, as if the very fabric of its existence acknowledged the gravity of the revelation. "A demon of middle strength, thrust into the unforgiving depths of the infernal realm."

The vivid imagery painted by his words unfolded like a dark tapestry — a forsaken realm teeming with demonic entities vying for dominance and survival. The air in Hell was thick with malevolence, and Ragna, tossed into this cauldron of despair, found himself amidst the struggle for supremacy.

"Forced to survive the harsh depths of Hell," Ragna continued, the words resonating with the bitterness of the underworld. "In that crucible of suffering, my power grew. Each trial, each torment, forged me into something stronger. Until I stood at the top of all demons, a force to be reckoned with in the abyss."

The abyss seemed to shudder in response, as if acknowledging the formidable ascent of its denizen. Ragna, now a spectral figure against the undulating shadows, stood as a testament to the resilience born from anguish.

The revelation hung in the air like an ethereal mist, swirling between the shadows of the abyss. Alex's mind grappled with the profound weight of the revelation, his eyes narrowing as if trying to discern the truth hidden within the enigmatic tale that Ragna had just unravelled.

Ragna, his form a silhouette against the shifting darkness, watched Alex with a blend of anticipation and vulnerability. The echoes of his past reverberated in the emptiness of the abyss, the remnants of Celestials 445 casting a haunting backdrop to the moment.

"So, you woke up in Hell," Alex mused, his voice a mix of incredulity and curiosity. "You became the top demon there and I summoned you?"

Ragna, his eyes reflecting the glow of the abyss, continued his narrative. "Hell is a realm of torment, where demons struggle for dominance and survival. In that infernal abyss, my strength grew until I stood at the pinnacle. It's a rare occurrence for a demon to be summoned by a being from another world. In my case, that being was you."

The elder figure's words echoed with a sombre resonance, the tale weaving a tapestry of anguish and resilience. As Ragna spoke of the moment of summoning, the memories flooding back, the vivid images of an infernal landscape clashed with the muted echoes of a human realm in turmoil.

"The first contact was when your company was bombed," Ragna continued, his voice a low murmur. "The hatred, the pain you felt at that moment reached into the depths of Hell and pulled me into your world. I emerged, a shadow of demonic strength, at the intersection of chaos and despair."

As Ragna spoke, the scene unfolded like a surreal painting — the turmoil of a bombed company, the raw intensity of Alex's emotions, and the emergence of a demonic force from the abyss. The memories, once distant, became a vivid collage etched into the canvas of the abyss.

"But there's more," Ragna added, his gaze fixed on Alex. "As we trained, I saw something unexpected. When you removed your shirt, I saw a birthmark. A mark that mirrored the one my child bore. My child, who I thought died. But in a twist of cosmic fate, his soul found its way into a human child. Alex, you are my son."

The words hung in the abyss like an echo of eternity, the revelation casting a profound shadow over the father and son. Alex's mind reeled, emotions swirling like a tempest. 

"What?" he exclaimed, the word escaping his lips in disbelief. "I'm your son?"