Abyss Draconis-Chapter 551: Abrupt Decisions

"It was the best thing that could be done," Aster replied as Ryuk raised his head from the reports to look at her.

"The... best thing?"

"Yes. When the footage of you engaging the Knulls was released, just like you predicted, Endearth was divided into two groups.

A group saying ’Yaaaaaay,’ and another group with silence... and horror."

"Can you guess which is which?" she said humorously as Ryuk rolled his eyes.

"Of course. I knew those damn leaders would be more alarmed than anything."

"Who can blame them, though? You soloed what took four of theirs to take down, along with multitudes of other Knulls. They had to consider the chance of rebellion."

"To the civilians and the Asension Alliance Soldiers, you’re a savior."

"To the major powerhouses, you’re a walking calamity that can bring ruin to Endearth."

"They sent an Alarm Order on an elite forum, requesting others to find your location, but when I said you were the Supreme Weave of the organization, and that you are Ryuk..."

"I saw them cancel the Alarm Order, and even allow you in for the commemoration, all without a word. The leaders fear the horned alien that stopped the Knull King and its armies. And what people fear, they take down—or try to."

"But they know Ryuk from his previous feats in the first two Knull invasions, and sent him a welcome card. I think being truthful with them was the best thing I could have done."

"Crafting up new backstories and new... lies, it’s all a web that can blow up once a partial piece of information is out of place."

"Not worth the risk, if we’re all focused on bringing an end to the Knulls... with the help of the Ascended Alliance too," she explained deeply, as Ryuk faintly closed his eyes, exhaling in a deep breath for a while.

’Now Morgaine knows for sure. But not just Morgaine... the Half-Fallen one knows too.’

’And if there’s one thing I don’t understand, it’s that the other major powerhouses definitely should have heard of the Half-Fallen one placing a death bounty over my head... yet what did they do?’

’And now they’re extending me a welcome? After seeing what I’m capable of... or after being scared and fearing I’d take them all down? It all seems...fake to me.’ Ryuk thought to himself, remaining in that dark silence for a while before he heard the word:

"Ryuk?" it said, as his eyes opened and Ryuk looked Morgaine deep in the eye, before he rose to his feet.

"I’m very sorry, Morgaine. But... I’ll be skipping this commemoration," Ryuk said—a word that shook Aster’s heart as she opened her lips to say something, only to close them, then tried to say something once more, but again, closed them.

She took a deep inhale, but when she opened her eyes, she found Ryuk’s back turning away, moving toward the exit already.

"Let’s go, Antares," He said, his hand reaching for the knob, only to have a hand grab it before he could.

"It’s fine. But I know, if you dressed so well, and came all this way and so early, then you must have definitely been looking forward to this event."

"But you’re now leaving all of a sudden. Tell me what changed..." she said, as Ryuk looked into her eyes before he mustered a word.

"Fake. The intentions are all fake."

Those were his words before he slipped his hand off hers and stepped out of the room. Antares followed closely behind.

When Ryuk walked five more steps, a vortex materialized in front of him, and he stepped into it, followed by Antares, while Aster stood alone on the balcony.

Her fingers hovered in the air, as if expecting him to return, but they eventually lowered to the side, as she looked at where they had last stood.

Her gaze was split between confusion and apprehension.

Ryuk had changed his decision after learning that she had revealed his true name.

But she still didn’t understand why.

Why would he not want his name revealed?

Or could there be a different reason?

But even now, she had to come up with an excuse for why he would be absent, especially when the footage of his arrival in the Starwave Organization had just spread through the internet.

_____

When the vortex reopened, Ryuk and Antares stepped out to see the VelociNova right in front of them, seemingly waiting, and in no time, they both got into it before Ryuk resumed driving.

A silent 30 minutes passed, as Antares looked disinterestedly out the side window at the edge of the mountain, the billowing waves of the sea crashing by the side.

He looked from the sea waves crashing below to Ryuk, who held an expression that got colder and colder the longer the silence stretched.

The space around him was beginning to shudder as he started losing control of his aura.

It was the clearest sign of anger, and Antares looked away from him back to the sea before he said:

"That Asteralaxia. She seems very knowledgeable, no?" he said like a question, but Ryuk’s attention was focused on the drive—and mostly on the chaotic emotions within.

"She is very knowledgeable. She got everything right. My race name, the greetings offered to my race—almost everything. But she got one thing slightly wrong. Just one," he said, finally arresting Ryuk’s attention.

"Uh-huh?"

"She said, what the major powerhouse fears, they take down—or at least try to," he said, as Ryuk’s brow knitted an inch.

"But she was wrong to think, now that they know you and your background, they no longer want to take you down."

"I know what it feels like to be in a position of strength."

"From being a Barbarian General of my tribe. I know those pompous Nimoras Kings try and act like they know me, try and court friendships with me—all because they know we barbarians are the strongest in the world."

"But I’ve seen them, and I’ve seen through their acts. In truth, they still fear us barbarians, even after we have close relationships with them."

"The fear didn’t diminish at all. What a powerhouse fears and doesn’t understand, they try to take down."

"But it’s important to add this—"

"What they understand... and is stronger than them... they still fear, but then they don’t try directly to take down."

"They try to control... and ultimately take down."