Shadow Slave

Sunny raised an eyebrow.

”A bet?”

Asterion shrugged.

“Well, I do hate to admit it, but the young lady is somewhat correct. Indoctrinating subjects of her Domain has indeed proven to be... more difficult than I anticipated. You really did a number on them, didn’t you, Nephis?”

He shook his head.

”I don’t even think that I could have done better myself. They truly are devoted — disgustingly so, really. As if you were already a goddess. Ah, but no matter. I’ll get to them, eventually. The question is... what will the three of us do in the meantime?” Raising a hand to rub his temple, Asterion said in a pensive tone:

”As I see it, there are two avenues to resolve our dispute. One is to make it a spectacle. You know, the usual repertoire of modernity — burning cities, rivers of blood, piles of corpses. You can unleash the full force of your Aspects upon me, while I will escape and command my thralls to begin a campaign of terror and sabotage across both worlds, dealing devastating damage to humanity and undermining the public’s confidence in your leadership.’

His expression soured.

”Naturally, that avenue will leave both parties unsatisfied. You will lose the lives of countless people you wish to protect... while I will lose the opportunity to devour those people. The drawbacks of this solution are substantial.”

Asterion fell silent, then continued as if nothing was the matter:

”The other avenue is a more civil manner of resolving a dispute. We simply do... nothing.” Sunny scoffed.

”Nothing? You expect us to do nothing?” Asterion raised an eyebrow.

“Why not? Ah, but in this case, nothing is simply a manner of speech. What I meant to say was that we will limit ourselves to aboveboard measures — for a time, at least. After all, haven’t you just proclaimed your confidence in the unity of the Human Domain?”

He smiled ominously.

”So, let us test it.”

Nephis frowned.

“What exactly do you mean?”

Asterion gave her a reserved look.

”It is just as I implied. I will endeavor to undermine the unity of your Domain and make it mine — without resorting to bloodshed or acts of sabotage that can actually hurt it. You, meanwhile, can take measures to strengthen the devotion of your followers and prevent them from falling into my hands. It will be a war of public opinion... a war of ideas, if you will.” Sunny and Nephis glanced at each other.

At this point, it was clear... that Asterion was trying to con them.

It could hardly be called a con, really, because he was not even trying to hide his intentions. Naturally, it would be in everyone’s best interest if the clash between the three Supremes transpired without any blood being spilled. However, Asterion’s powers were tailored for exactly that kind of warfare — for manipulating public opinion and propagating ideas that he deemed worthy.

So, he would inevitably receive an advantage if they agreed to this temporary, deceptive ceasefire.

It was just that Sunny and Nephis did not really have other options.

Asterion had been right. At the moment, they could not contain him without causing destruction on a colossal scale, and that was not something either of them was ready to perpetrate... or at least ready to perpetrate just yet.

The Human Domain, meanwhile, was indeed robust and strong. Neph’s popularity was universal, and she was both revered and beloved by humans all across the two worlds. Some venerated her as a symbol of humanity, some regarded her as their best hope to survive the apocalypse, while some simply worshipped her like a goddess.

That reverence was partially a result of a tremendous propaganda campaign that had spanned, in some shape or form, many decades, from the day Neph’s grandfather became the first human to Ascend until her rise to the throne of humanity. But it was also a result of Neph’s own efforts and her radiant powers, which had saved countless lives — and were saving them still. Such a foundation was not simple to destroy, even for Asterion.

Sunny had a sinking feeling that they would still end up on the losing end of a war of ideas... but that did not even really matter at the moment.

Whether Asterion was trying to con them into accepting a losing proposition or not was not as important as the implications of accepting his bet.

The main one being that they would receive more time.

And if they wanted to find a way to regain control of the situation and deal with the Dreamspawn, time was something that they needed the most.

‘Why does it feel like delaying the inevitable, then?’

Sunny sighed.

He nodded subtly, signaling his opinion to Nephis. The corner of her mouth twitched slightly, betraying her displeasure, but she seemed to be of the same opinion as him, in the end.

After a long bout of silence, Nephis finally spoke, her voice echoing in the vast hall: “Are there any stakes to your bet, I wonder?” Asterion simply laughed.

“Why, of course. If you win, I will be captured and sealed. If I win, you will become my thralls. Naturally, when the time comes, either side can decide not to honor the agreement... but the beautiful thing about this bet is that its very terms leave the loser no way out. It is not that different from a self-fulfilling prophecy.”

Sunny and Nephis looked at each other once again.

They were in a dead end. Asterion might have presented his offer as a bet, but in truth, it was an ultimatum.

All they could do was agree... for now.

Once they regrouped and had a chance to discuss the situation, they could find a better solution. Kai, Effie, and Jet would be able to offer their opinions, as well... and Cassie would be with them again, too.

Her advice might prove vital, considering how fixated Asterion was on eliminating her.

Nephis grimaced.

“Fine. I’ll accept your bet.’

The words were spoken.

Asterion smiled, then gave her a mocking bow.

”A wise decision.”

In the silence that followed, Sunny asked in a disgruntled tone:

”Are you just going to stand there, then?” The Dreamspawn chuckled.

”No... it’s time for me to go, I think.’

Nephis raised an eyebrow.

“And where exactly will you go?”

Turning away, Asterion headed toward the exit with the same light steps.

”Well, now that I have revealed myself, I’ll need a residence. I can’t very well ask you to provide me with accommodations, can I? Luckily, I happen to own a wonderful property right here in Bastion.”

He looked over his shoulder and smiled.

”It’s a scenic church on the edges of the city. Granted, all its worshippers have mysteriously vanished one night... ah, but it’s not a problem.”

Just as he was passing through the gate, he added in a pleasant tone:

”Something tells me that it will have a great number of new visitors soon...”