Aira saw the tension between them and quickly intervened. "Selene, meet my friend Grey. I met him yesterday," she said, hoping to ease the intensity.
Selene didn't move her gaze away from Grey, but she raised an eyebrow at Aira's words.
"Your friend?" Selene's voice, though beautiful, carried a warmth that contrasted with her cold eyes.
"What? You don't believe me?" Aira pouted, kicking the ground with her legs.
Grey, amused by their exchange, couldn't resist. "How many friends do you have, anyway?"
Aira, caught off guard, hesitated. "I-I have... lots of friends."
"Oh really? How many?" Grey grinned, pushing her.
"So many I can't even count," Aira said, crossing her arms and shooting him a playful glare. "Why do you care, anyway?"
"Just curious," Grey chuckled. "It's hard to believe anyone could resist your charm."
As Grey said this, Aira felt a wave of embarrassment, her face turning slightly red.
"You know it very well," she murmured happily, her voice low as she glanced away, a shy smile playing on her lips.
Grey shifted his gaze back to the cold beauty in front of him and made a slight bowing gesture.
"As Aira already spilled the beans, I'm Grey. Nice to meet you," he said with a friendly grin.
Selene's expression softened just a tad, and she nodded slightly. "Likewise," she replied curtly, her voice soft but still maintaining a hint of aloofness.
Aira nudged Grey playfully. "See? She's not all ice after all. You'll get used to her," she whispered, trying to lighten the mood.
Grey chuckled under his breath. "I'll take your word for it," he said, glancing back at Selene with a half-smile.
Selene raised an eyebrow, her lips quirking into a faint smirk. "I suppose you'll have to," she remarked dryly, her demeanor softening a touch more.
Aira giggled at the exchange. "Come on, let's not stand around here. Grey, let me show you around the city," she said eagerly, tugging at his arm.
Grey nodded, turning back to Aira. "Lead the way, Your Highness," he teased, following her lead as they started walking, leaving Selene with a subtle smile playing on her lips.
The reason behind her smile remained hers alone, for she alone could sense it: the sheer magnitude of the boy's mana, vast and enigmatic, unlike anything she had ever encountered.
Had it not been for the scant details displayed on the blue screen before her, she might never have known.
***
[Status Window]
Name:Grey Everwood
Race:Human
Age:7 years
Power: 2 stages above host
Mana Points (MP):???
Spirit Power (SP): ???
Description: A prodigious anomaly in the system's calculations, destined to rewrite the rules of power.
She looked as Grey flew away with Aira, suddenly a sound was heard inside her head.
[System Message]
Ding!
[Host, you must befriend that individual at all costs. If not a friend, then certainly not an enemy.]
Selene wasn't surprised by the message, already aware that Grey wasn't someone to take lightly.
"Not that I care. I wasn't planning to pick a fight with him for no reason, am I?" Selene shrugged nonchalantly.
[The host should be cautious around him.]
"I understand, I understand. But I think that little boy is genuinely good-natured," Selene replied confidently.
Selene moved forward with the intention to follow Aira and Grey, but abruptly halted in her tracks. Her eyes widened in shock as a sudden realization struck her like a thunderbolt.
"A human... in Acheron?" Selene muttered to herself, her mind racing with questions. In this realm, humans were an anomaly, never before seen or heard of. How had Grey entered this mystical world, and more importantly, why hadn't they captured him yet? What was the princess, Aira, doing associating with him? And why hadn't she taken any action against him when she clearly knew his identity?
Selene's thoughts swirled with uncertainty. She knew the potential consequences of a human in Acheron could be catastrophic, yet Aira seemed unfazed, even welcoming towards Grey. There had to be a reason, a hidden agenda perhaps, that Selene wasn't privy to. As the economic and defense leader of the city, tasked with protecting Acheron from all threats, Selene felt a growing unease. She needed answers, and she needed them soon.
After a few minutes of flying, Grey and Aira finally landed on the ground, with Selene following closely behind them. Selene's expression was distant, her mind clearly preoccupied with her recent realization.
Grey's eyes scanned the scene before him: roads cracked, buildings in ruins, and fallen angels diligently using their magic to reconstruct their homes. The devastation was extensive. If it had been caused by an ordinary natural phenomenon, the fallen angels would have easily rebuilt their city using their magic. But this was no ordinary disaster. The massive disruption of mana and natural law made the task much more challenging.
Grey felt a deep pang of guilt. He knew the extent of the damage and the strain it placed on the city's inhabitants. Determined to make amends, he resolved to help them, no matter the cost.
As Grey stood among the fallen angels, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes, allowing the ambient mana to flow through him. He raised his hands slowly, and the air around him began to shimmer with a faint, otherworldly glow. Murmuring an incantation under his breath, Grey's voice resonated with a power that made the very ground tremble.
Above the city, the sky darkened as an enormous magic circle began to materialize. Intricate runes and symbols, glowing with a radiant blue light, interlocked in a mesmerizing dance. The circle was vast, its circumference encompassing the entire city of Acheron. At the center of the circle was a radiant core, pulsing with pure, concentrated mana.
The fallen angels looked up, their eyes widening in disbelief and fear. Murmurs of confusion and dread spread through the crowd like wildfire.
"What is that?" a woman whispered, clutching her friend's arm in fear.
"Is it some kind of omen?" a man asked, his voice trembling with apprehension.
"Stay alert!" another shouted, his eyes darting around nervously.
Aira and Selene, standing nearby, wore expressions of sheer astonishment. They watched as Grey began to rise into the air, enveloped in a strange, dim light that seemed to pulse with his heartbeat. His presence was commanding, almost divine.
"Is he doing this?" Aira muttered, her eyes locked on Grey.
Selene nodded, her usually stoic face betraying a hint of awe. "It appears so. I've never seen anything like it."
The massive magic circle in the sky began to rotate, its runes and symbols shifting and glowing more brightly. From the circle, tendrils of light descended, touching every fallen angel in the city. Instantly, each of them began to glow with yellow and green light, their mana reserves surging.
The fallen angels felt the power coursing through their bodies. Their mana increased, and their spells became more potent, with new abilities emerging. The initial shock turned into amazement as they realized what was happening.
"What's happening to us?" a young fallen angel exclaimed, staring at his glowing hands in awe.
"I feel... stronger," another said, flexing her fingers and casting a spell, watching it perform better than ever before.
"It's the magic circle," an elder declared, his voice filled with wonder. "It's enhancing our abilities!"
The crowd erupted into excited chatter.
"This is unbelievable!"
"Who could have done this?"
"It has to be that boy," someone pointed out, gesturing towards Grey.
Back on the ground, Aira and Selene exchanged glances, still processing what they were witnessing.
"This kid," Aira began, shaking her head in disbelief and admiration. "He's something else."
Selene nodded slowly. "Indeed. He's... different."
Grey, hearing their voices, descended back to the ground, the dim light around him fading. He looked at Aira and Selene, a small, apologetic smile on his face.
"I hope this helps," he said simply, his voice humble despite the immense power he had just displayed.
The fallen angels, now buzzing with newfound energy, looked at Grey with a mixture of respect and gratitude. The city was still damaged, but the path to recovery now seemed not only possible but imminent.
As Grey descended back to the ground after completing the intricate magic circle in the sky, he was met with a sea of awestruck faces among the fallen angels of Acheron. They stood in a semi-circle around him, eyes wide with a mixture of reverence and curiosity. Some of them whispered among themselves, while others couldn't hide their admiration.
One of the elder fallen angels, with a mane of silver hair and deep violet wings, stepped forward cautiously. His voice was filled with a mixture of respect and wonder as he addressed Grey, "Young one, what you have done... it is beyond our understanding. To manipulate such vast mana reserves and craft such a spell at your age... it is remarkable."
Grey, though humble, couldn't help but feel a swell of pride mixed with gratitude at their reaction. He nodded graciously, his expression reflecting both humility and a sense of responsibility. "I'm just glad I could help," he replied softly, his gaze sweeping over the crowd.