Conclusions

Empyrean Training Arc

The Cosmic League had reached its conclusion, and Ash and Lance found themselves transported back to the arena.

Several other demigods rushed to greet and commend them on their performance, eager to ask Ash about Drake. As expected, Ash remained reserved, offering only minimal responses.

Moments later, Shade returned to the arena, his demeanor noticeably subdued compared to the others.

"Are you okay?" Klaus inquired, approaching his brother with concern.

Shade, sensing Klaus's worry, quickly adopted a brighter demeanor. "Don't worry about me. I'm fine," he reassured with a smile.

Though Klaus sensed Shade's attempt to alleviate his concern, he respected his brother's choice and left it at that.

As conversations continued, XVII finally made his appearance on the arena stage.

"Greetings, demigods. I commend each of you for your remarkable performance in the Cosmic League. Your efforts have been truly impressive," he announced.

The demigods, relieved to receive praise, responded with cheers and smiles. However, XVII had more to say.

"But my words alone may not suffice," he added ominously.

With those words, a powerful energy filled the arena, forcing all the demigods to their knees. Suddenly, a light descended from the sky, heralding the arrival of a mysterious being.

"Hmm..." the God began, as the demigods struggled to even lift their heads to see who it was.

The force was overwhelming, paralyzing every demigod with its intensity. It was possibly the most frightening power they had encountered. After a moment, the God eased the pressure, allowing the demigods to rise to their feet.

The God's golden blond hair matched the gold-plated armor he wore. In his right hand, he held a flag, reminiscent of the ancient stories told by early humans.

"Oh damn," Quinn whispered. "It's—"

"Siege," Klaus interjected, causing Quinn to pout slightly.

All eyes were fixed on Siege, the God of War, who surveyed the demigods with an authoritative gaze.

"Greetings, demigods," Siege began.

Every demigod listened intently, eager for his words.

"As XVII already mentioned, I want to congratulate you all, not just for completing the event, but for exceeding the expectations that the other Gods and I had."

Although it echoed XVII's sentiment, coming from Siege, it felt more significant to the demigods.

"There will be no announcement of a general victor or superior team, as there was no intention of having a final result. However, it is noteworthy that teams Solar, Stellar, and Lunar each secured a win, while team Astra won all their battles."

This left the demigods who weren't part of team Astra feeling a bit down, glancing at one another before Siege continued.

"That being said, there was one demigod whose performance was unanimously recognized by all the Gods as the most exceptional. Thus, we acknowledge Klaus Walker as the Most Valuable Player of the event."

Everyone turned to Klaus, who remained unperturbed by the announcement, his gaze steady on Siege, saying nothing.

"How the hell was he MVP?" a voice rang out, turning everyone's attention to Arthur. "I barely even noticed him at all."

Silence fell over the room as everyone awaited Siege's reaction. The God of War turned his gaze to Arthur, who was standing to his left. Without warning, Arthur fell to his knees, writhing in apparent agony, as if an immense weight had suddenly been placed on his back.

"You may be my son, but you will speak only when spoken to," Siege declared, his tone icy.

Fear rippled through the assembled demigods as they watched Arthur trembling on the ground. Siege's unyielding expression only heightened the tension, rendering everyone speechless.

After a moment, Siege turned his attention back to the group, and Arthur's pain instantly ceased. Arthur remained kneeling for a few seconds before he managed to stand.

"For clarification," Siege continued, "the choice was not based on general performance or total eliminations, but on the extent to which the demigod exceeded the projected expectations."

The explanation made it clear that the Gods' decision was based on who had surprised them the most, considering the diverse backgrounds and varying advantages among the demigods. No one dared to challenge Siege's statement after witnessing what had happened to Arthur.

"Once again, on behalf of all the Gods, I would like to thank you all for your efforts in making the Cosmic League a success. In light of some of your complaints, we understand that team battling is not suitable for everyone. Therefore, we will be organizing a more intense tournament that will test each demigod's individual skills. You can look forward to participating in this event a month from now."

A few seconds of silence followed as the demigods processed the news of another upcoming tournament. Instead of feeling down, the demigods seemed energized, eager to prove their skills in the next event.

"Finally, the transportation pods will be available to return you to Main World tomorrow. Until then, you are free to do as you wish in Higher World. After your departure, you will be welcome to return to Higher World anytime and utilize the training facilities as you see fit. Your personal instructors will also be available should you need them," Siege concluded.

With that, Siege's wings unfurled, and he took off, returning to the domain of the Gods.

"So basically, we're allowed to throw a party before tomorrow?" Iris asked, glancing at XVII with a hopeful smile.

"I believe there's no rule against that," XVII replied, prompting cheers from the demigods.

Excitement buzzed through the group, most of whom were eager to unwind after the grueling event. The prospect of a party was met with enthusiasm, although a few, like X and Ash, remained indifferent.

Iris took charge of organizing the event, choosing the main hall on the ground floor of their apartment building as the venue. XVII, supportive of the idea, granted her access to food and drinks and helped her set everything up. A few hours later, the party was in full swing.

As expected, Klaus opted out of the festivities. He lay on his bed, lost in thought about the Cosmic League and his surprising MVP title. To him, it felt unearned compared to the efforts of others, but he decided to accept the recognition this time.

A knock at the door interrupted his musings. He got up and called out, "Who is it?"

"It's me, open up," a familiar voice answered. Klaus sighed and opened the door to find Rose and Shade standing there. They walked in and took a seat, breaking the silence after a few moments.

"So... are you going to the party?" Shade asked.

"What do you think?" Klaus responded, heading back to his bed.

"C'mon, Klaus. We just finished the biggest tournament of our lives so far. The least you can do is unwind from all that stress and have some fun," Rose urged.

Even though this was true, Klaus didn't see any difference between going to the party and resting on his bed. The party seemed more stressful than relaxing to him.

"I guess we all unwind in different ways," Klaus continued as he lay back down.

Rose and Shade exchanged a glance, understanding there was no convincing him. They decided to leave him be.

"Well, if that's what you want," Rose said, heading out of the room.

Shade stopped at the door and turned back to his brother, who stared silently at the ceiling. "You know, you really should try talking more to the other demigods. A lot of them want to get to know you better, but they think you'd find their presence annoying."

"Why are you telling me this?" Klaus asked, his gaze still fixed on the ceiling.

Shade chuckled softly. "Because I know that's what you want too."

With that, Shade headed to the party, joining Rose, who had gone ahead.

"Do you think he'll show up?" Rose asked as they reached the venue.

"I guess there's only one way to find out," Shade replied as they stepped inside.

The party was already roaring with music from outside, and inside, the volume was even louder. The place was more impressive than they had imagined, with a vibrant, typical party vibe. The room was dark, filled with strobe lights flashing to the beat of the music that enveloped the entire hall.

Though not a lot of people were there, a significant number of demigods had shown up, with the notable exceptions of X and Klaus.

"Wow, Iris really outdid herself," Shade remarked, looking around. "If anyone knows how to throw a party, it's her."

Rose had a frustrated look, still not fond of Iris, but she couldn't deny the party was amazing.

"Oh, you guys made it," came a barely audible voice from the back. Quinn walked over to Shade and Rose. "Honestly, I'd be shocked if Ash showed up and you guys didn't."

"Ash showed up?" Rose replied, surprised. "Wow."

"I know, right? Guess that leaves just X... and Klaus," Quinn continued. "Did you try convincing him?"

"Yeah," Shade responded. "Honestly, I'm not sure if he even heard me."

Quinn's expression fell for a moment, but she quickly shrugged it off and continued partying, with Shade and Rose joining her.

After a while, the door opened.

It was Klaus.

Klaus walked into the hall, the loud music blasting through his ears. As he entered, the other demigods gradually noticed his presence.

"He actually showed up," Shade whispered, a smile spreading across his face.

Klaus, unsure of what to do, headed straight to the bar and sat down. He glanced around, feeling out of place. Before long, Iris walked up to him.

"Hey, Papi. I see you actually showed up," Iris said with a grin.

"I guess," Klaus responded.

"Well, I'm glad you came. And while you're here, how about we have some fun?" Iris continued.

She walked up to the bar counter and grabbed a bottle of tequila, pouring two glasses. She held one glass and handed the other to Klaus.

"I don't drink," Klaus said, looking at Iris.

"Well, there's a time for everything," Iris insisted, still holding out the glass. Klaus gave her a skeptical look before she continued.

"Oh, come on, don't be a puto. Just have fun and let loose. Just this once, okay?"

Klaus took a moment to consider. He hadn't planned on drinking, just like he hadn't planned on showing up at the party, yet here he was. He didn't even know why he was there, but he felt that since he was, he might as well try to relax.

"Fine," Klaus said with a sigh, reaching out and taking the cup of tequila from Iris. He raised the glass to his lips and downed the entire contents in one go.

"Whoa," Iris said, surprised. "I didn't expect you to drink it all."

She smiled and chugged her own drink before pouring another round for both of them.

"See, this is fun," Iris said, beaming at Klaus.

Klaus wasn't really listening. He'd never consumed alcohol before and wasn't prepared for the strength of it. He knew it would be potent, but the reality hit harder than he imagined. Yet, for some reason, he took the cup Iris handed him and gulped down the drink again.

Klaus kept drinking, feeling his coordination slip away. Then it finally hit him.

He was drunk.