Kuzon had been watching Jared's lackluster fight with the Boss Monster while he easily took care of the mobs.
Using [Dark Lightning Surge] a couple of times was enough to kill all of them. He would have used a stronger Area Of Effect Spell, but he was worried about damaging the Cores, so he went lighter.
While he did this, though, he had a fleeting thought.
'I wonder who's stronger between the both of us now...'
It was a thought he didn't know how to properly resolve. As such, he involved someone he would have normally liked to be quiet.
... His Familiar, the Leo Constellation.
~You're stronger, of course. You have me—a Constellation.~
As expected, Leo's response was very biased.
~I'm being serious. He lacks the raw power and potential you have thanks to my presence. The amount of Aether I possess alone is more than mere humans can gather in multiple lifetimes.~
That's right. Kuzon knew this quite well already, thanks to his training with Crazy Neron.
Other than Aether herself, the Constellations were known to be the ones that had the most Aether.
It was too vast to be properly quantified.
~Of course, since you're limited, there's only a certain amount you can tap into. And, there, I think, does the problem lie.~
'Hm? What do you mean by that?' Kuzon's face twisted a bit in apprehension.
~As much as I'm sure you have more raw power and Aether reserve than your friend over there, it's still uncertain who would win in a fight.~
'Oh?'
~That man has a higher proficiency in using Magic than you. He can use everything in his arsenal with far higher efficiency. His fighting prowess and intelligence exceeds yours as well. Then... there's the issue of the Arcanas.~
Sure, Kuzon couldn't be harmed thanks to his Arcana's effects, and he could also command others thanks to his second—well, first to be exact—one.
However...
~Jared has all the Arcana Spells, including yours. It's possible to void your effects if he utilizes the Spells properly.~
'Hold on... for real?!'
~Yes. And with his knack for tweaking Magic, I'm sure he will begin tk make improvements and changes to the Spells as time goes on.~
"I see..." Kuzon slowly found his thoughts leaking out.
~The fact that he was able to synchronize his Arcanas with any world's frequency without the guidance of someone, unlike you, shows the vast difference in your abilities. I'd say you have the advantage... because of me... but as time goes on, the gap will only increase.~
Kuzon didn't know what to feel at this point. He considered Jared a friend, and someone he respected simply based on their similarities and differences.
However, if there was something that was integral to their relationship, it was the hierarchy.
Kuzon had always been the stronger one.
'I don't want to lose to him.' His thoughts echoed stubbornly.
~Hehe! That's the spirit. I guess you should work on getting used to my power. Maybe start developing your Primeval Magic too.~
Kuzon could only nod at the Constellation's words.
He could stop Jared from catching up to him by simply putting in more effort into his own development.
'Looks like I'll need to get even stronger.'
*
*
*
While dwelling within Kuzon, The Constellation Leo sighed to himself.
Of course, he made sure his thoughts weren't visible to Kuzon, so he could have an internal session in privacy.
He also shut out Kuzon's thoughts so he could have a quiet ambiance in his vicinity.
'That Jared... he's really something.' Leo's thoughts echoed in his domain.
Inasmuch as he treated the subject so flippantly, it was an incredible feat for Jared to have synchronized his Arcana Spells, which would make him nearly invincible in his original world, to other worlds.
This was the kind of crazy nonsense he would have expected from Neron, but not a second-hand Singularity.
'He's definitely surpassing our expectations.'
The first time Leo and the other Constellations really noticed Jared was during his fight with the Nether.
After Jared nearly concluded the fight by harnessing the power in his universe, their interests were already piqued.
Of course Leo realized Aether was assisting him by possessing his body, but it was still incredible—especially since Aether had only ever possessed two others in the history of existence.
'Merlin and Neron.' Those two were hot cake among the Constellations, yet Aether chose a nobody as her third.
It clearly meant Jared was special.
'The only reason none of the Constellations have approached him yet is because of Neron.'
Neron overshadowed Jared, and since the two were close to each other, they often preferred Neron.
However, it didn't mean they had completely lost interest in Jared at all.
It only meant they were keeping their eyes out for him.
What surprised Leo the most, however, was that Jared had even attracted the attention of 'that' one, as they all often referred to their most eccentric sibling.
'She's also looking at him, huh? That's a surprise...'
She was someone who never even bothered with Neron.
Her and Old Man Neron never got along, even when the other Constellations settled for a truce contract with him.
'Even though I am selective of Hosts, I have had quite a couple of them since existence started.'
However, this Constellation was the was the only one that had never chosen a single Host since her dawn.
'I wonder... what'll happen to him. Will she choose him? Or will it be nothing more than fleeting interest?'
It was something Leo looked forward to more than anything else.
After all, Constellations existed to find Hosts and serve them, and this particular one considered herself pure and unsullied—a virgin in every right.
The moment she found someone to dedicate herself to... their bond would be eternally transcendent.
