I began the meditation with a deep breath, feeling the Aether stir within me as I expanded my senses.
After expanding it, I narrowed it all down with the two who sat next to me, initiating [Resonance] at that very moment.
My entire self seemed to be drawn towards the two of them—both at the same time—and while it would have felt like I was being torn apart, the fact that they resonated with me meant all three of us became one.
It felt like a three-way bridge that connected all three of us—a triangle of power.
"Haa…" Exhaling deeply, I proceeded to the next step.
My integration into the very depths in order to find the bond that existed between the Constellations and my friends.
My dual resonance with both Edward and Kuzon meant I had to do it at the same time, and while I could not enter two regions with one form, all our energies flowed together, allowing a free entry process.
That was when I arrived at the seemingly infinite expanse of our joint astral realms.
I witnessed the Golden Aether Core of Kuzon, as well as the blazing Azure and Amber Core of Edward. Both of them were magnifiscent, brimming with so much power that they caused me to shiver despite lacking physical senses.
I was in awe, watching them rise in strength with each passing moment. The concentration of Aether they had was phenomenal, far more than any of my Cores could ever possess.
It was a good thing I had decided on making more Cores and Sub Cores from the start, since there was no way I could compete with monsters like these.
'Edward must have gotten most of his power from the training method of the Martial Blade God, as well as the guidance of the Aries Constellation.'
As for Kuzon, he had the entire power of the Midas Race within him, not to mention the Leo Constellation.
I couldn't compete with either of those things with sheer power alone.
Seeing their Aether Cores firsthand reminded me of the kind of monsters these two were, and just how far they had come from when I knew them back in Ainzlark Academy.
'Time to go deeper!'
As my thoughts echoed in resolve, I stretched out my hands and reached for both of the Cores before me, sending out my energy to connect to them at the most fundamental level.
It worked!
Our energies were so compatible that I began to feel it mixing in, and I experienced the true depths of their power.
However, the moment our connection grew deeper, and I felt myself being drawn further in… another thing began to manifest.
Something within me.
'T-this is…!'
It was the 'N' Arcana I had with me for safekeeping! It was glowing brightly for some reason, resonating with me as I was resonating with Edward and Kuzon.
The Arcana glowed brightly, and before I realized it… I felt something glowing within the Cores of both Edward and Kuzon.
It felt overwhelmingly strong, but it strangely resonateed with the N Card, which resonated with me by extension.
'I feel… odd…'
Suddenly, my form began to dislodge from the Cores I was resonating with. Instead, I felt something higher calling for me.
A door of white opened up before me, a result of the resonance that the N Card offered me. I could feel pieces of Kuzon and Edward in the door, but most of what dwelled on the other side was a mystery.
But the call was too strong that I couldn't resist.
I took one step forward, then two, and before I knew it… I was stepping into the door of light, unaware of what awaited me on the other side.
*********
"Hm? This is a surprise…"
My eyes slowly fluttered open as I heard a voice.
It was deep, imposing, and awe-inspiring all at the same time. I could feel my entire being shiver as I heard the voice reach out.
My blurry vision was yet to to acclimate to my current location, but the rest of my senses were already taking in the grandeur of the expanse.
It felt like infinity in a box, an the Aether that filled the realm far surpassed anything I had ever experienced—besides Aether herself.
However, other than the nature of my surrounding itself, there was an even more pertinent observation I made.
… The occupants that currently watched me.
I felt twelve distinct entities staring at me, their presences so imposing that I felt like bowing to them. At the same time, they had so much glory that I felt an innate need to serve them forever.
So many emotions were conjured within me all at once.
Fear.
Awe.
Amazement.
Desire.
It went on and on, and it was almost maddening, being assailed by so many elements. Fortunately, I was able to control my entire Aether-based form thanks to my expertise in Aether Manipulation.
Even though I could not stop the excess Aether assailing me, I could guard myself from recieving any.
"Impressive. To think you'd be able to maintain your composure in our presence…"
"Well, for him to be here is impressive enough, don't you think?"
"Ah, that's true."
As I heard more chatter among the twelve, my vision slowly got sharper, and I could finally see the world spread around me.
It was a world filled with divergent layers of various colors. It felt like a realm sewn out of a rainbow of infinite colors.
It felt like the opposite of any dark expanse of space, filled with so much light and energy that it took my phantom breath away.
This world was beauiful beyond words.
"It is good to have you here, Jared, though it is still surprising." A familiar tone echoed in my ears, and I looked in its direction.
No, in all their directions.
And that was when I found out… I was in the presence of the very beings I sought after.
The Constellations themselves!
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[A/N]
Thank you all for reading!
We finally get to see the Constellations… yayy!
Cheers!
