It should have been a mere instant.
One flash of light: ‘Stellaris’ lunged forward, thrusting a blade to stabilize and widen the rift. Another flash: his star-dusted body was halfway through the tear...
But there was no more.
The third flash of light was swallowed by a brilliance as dazzling and cruel as the sun.
*Clang!*
Shackles locked into place as a massive sphere of pitch-black alloy constructed itself in a heartbeat. In that moment, the small celestial body—formed from layers of dense matter—exerted a strange, faint gravitational pull on its surroundings. Within that sphere, before the spatial rift that was forced stable and unable to close by the terrifying neutralizing force of ‘Immovable’ and golden radiance...
A large, tension-filled hand reached out from behind Stellaris, death-gripping his sleek forearm.
The brilliance of the ‘Stars’ was shattered by the collision of invincible sunlight. Amidst subtle muscle spasms and neural interference, Evenheiler lost control of his limbs.
He slowly lowered his head, seeing a powerful arm wrapped around his waist. That strong, toughened arm had, at some point, donned a full-coverage gauntlet. Then, he was pulled into a heavy embrace, pressed against a youthful chest significantly broader and taller than his own.
“Don’t even think about running... Mr. Stellaris.” Clad in heavy mechanical armor, ‘Solaris’ lowered his head and whispered into his ear, “Your speed cannot transcend light, nor my power.”
In that hidden but far from dark world, the voice vibrated through the contact of metal on metal. The strength pinning his waist was extraordinary, even causing Evenheiler’s combat suit—designed to withstand high-energy explosions—to emit a faint sound of warping metal. “I missed you, Even.”
“..................”
Even a combat suit completely fused with one’s own energy was still made of ‘metal.’
Evenheiler remained expressionless, feeling his body move against his will.
When he was turned around in Lei Ting’s arms to face those eyes through their visors, he realized with startling clarity: his Iron Saint’s eyes were burning with a terrifying rage.
It was anger—a justified anger born of ‘loss,’ ‘deception,’ and ‘impotence.’ It was a fury suppressed for years beneath his morality and kindness.
As this young man reached the end of his mental torture and emotional asceticism, a violent rage, the full extent of which even he had likely never seen, began to bare its fangs.
A frantic urge to avoid the situation rose in Evenheiler’s heart, but he could not retreat. Instead, held fast by that overwhelming strength, he was forced to look up at Lei Ting, their bodies nearly pressed together. His lips twitched. “...Are you arresting a prisoner? ‘Solaris’?”
“Of course... former Federation Colonel, current high-risk fugitive, S-rank Esper, and my prisoner: ‘Stellaris’.”
Lei Ting stared fixedly at Evenheiler’s eyepieces and the blue eyes faintly visible beneath them. He couldn't help but grit his teeth. “I order you to return to the Federation and serve me!”
“Deeply sorry, service restricted,” Evenheiler shrugged with difficulty, putting on a forced, robotic voice. “Your service unit has changed its registration system.”
In that moment, it felt as if time had wound back many years. The two of them were lightheartedly joking—one with a heart full of complex gravity, pulled back from his thoughts by the young man’s ambiguity; the other not thinking much at all.
In truth, he had known for a long time that Lei Ting had feelings for him. Otherwise, he wouldn't have constantly and deliberately approached the boy back then—regardless of whether the reason for that proximity was pure emotion, if Lei Ting hadn't been receptive, no amount of effort would have mattered. Lei Ting was that kind of person; he knew.
He knew more than most people imagined... It could be said that he knew almost everything Lei Ting had experienced in those days, even if he wasn't naturally a curious person when it came to interpersonal relationships.
After all, a young man’s feelings tend to push for more. Once a topic is opened, if you say just a little to him, he wants to say more. If you smile, he gives you a bigger one in return. If you tell a story of your past, he tells you everything he wants you to know...
What does a youngster care about whether you want it or not? Once he gives, he gives, often without even fully realizing the value of what he’s offering.
And those things, rarer than gold or diamonds, were poured all at once into ‘Enan Valen’s’ arms. They weren't exactly heavy, yet they weren't light either; they sparkled so brightly they made one feel as if their mind were clouded and their limbs weak.
The old mailbox by the lonely, cold deep sea, which had been locked for half a lifetime, was crudely smashed open. And the brand-new letters forced inside had, through the caress of years, taken on a coating of rust.
Listening and sharing are rare skills one must learn in this life; unfortunately, both of them were experts at it.
And that was the origin of everything.
Recalling that name—one that sounded like a sigh and had been distant from his life for too long—Evenheiler couldn't help but let out a breath.
‘Enan.’ This name carried his past, his family ties, his mundanity, and his selfishness. He had thought that by donning his armor again, he could escape everything associated with it...
But reality used time to tell him that both the person who created that name and the person who called it with such sincerity and tenderness had long since left marks etched into his very marrow.
Orionites placed great importance on ‘names.’ This importance included their strange tradition of dual names, as well as honorifics and seniority.
For a time in the past, Evenheiler had scoffed at this... but now it seemed it wasn't a mistake.
A ‘name’ is a vital thing; it represents the world’s perception of a person. And that is an anchor one cannot ignore.
“...Raytine,” Evenheiler called the name softly, his tongue clicking with a crisp plosive. “You don’t have to keep remembering me like this.”
“None of my job requirements state that I must give up my private life,” Lei Ting said stiffly. “When do you want to get married?”
“...”
The speed of this topic change made Evenheiler choke. It took two full breaths before he managed to squeeze out: “Listen, kid, you have a brilliant future and there are so many beautiful Omegas out there. Why do you have to hang yourself from an old tree like me?!”
“I seem to vaguely, dimly recall that you are still my boyfriend, ‘Uncle’,” Lei Ting said coldly. “Concealment, betrayal, leaving without a word... and now you want to leave me entirely, is that it?”
A chill ran through Evenheiler. His breath even trembled because of it.
Lei Ting remembered. He remembered it all.
Those injuries, those departures... those life experiences gifted to him by ‘Enan Valen’ and ‘Evenheiler Kang’... he remembered them with absolute clarity.
Ah, and indeed it should be so. An Esper’s mental strength is almost entirely linked to their memory, thinking speed, and psychological stability.
C and D-ranks possess learning and memory capabilities beyond ordinary humans. B-rank Espers can reach the top tier in any industry. An A-rank Esper can have a photographic memory for the most complex documents; even if they haven't learned the cryptic script on them, they can replicate them perfectly afterward...
For an S-rank like Evenheiler, even if his mind had undergone negative changes due to the shattering of ‘Heaven’s Eye’ and the subsequent regression of his abilities, he could still recall everything he had seen, smelled, experienced, and felt ten or twenty years ago at any moment.
Joy—pain—sorrow—
Not a shred of memory, not a flicker of emotion, would be lost.
So, what about a ‘Double S’?
A perception so powerful he could see, hear, and smell every bit of hostility, tension, and pain. A mind so sharp he could detect everyone’s joys and sorrows.
Such a person... lost the things he cherished on the battlefield because he was gentle and kind, because he followed the rules.
And when he returned, he saw only an empty room and an apple with only one bite taken out of it.
Evenheiler’s eyes slowly widened as a suffocation delayed by five years surged up.
If he still felt, as he did back then, that he would eventually be forgotten by the other, he wouldn't feel this way...
...But now, facts proved that to this sun, he was indispensable.
Then... what exactly did he destroy back then?
And after he acted as an accomplice to the world, what was ‘Solaris,’ Lei Ting, feeling when he said those words and did those things on the Ring World?!
Evenheiler felt a moment of panic. He stared at Lei Ting, at that heavy armor whose helmet had already deployed. It was clearly a combat-ready stance.
In an instant, Evenheiler understood. This man had no intention of letting him leave again. Whether it was making ‘Evenheiler’ return to ‘Lei Ting’s’ side or making ‘Stellaris’ return to the ‘Human Union,’ he was determined to have his way.
To that end, he didn't care if he had to cross blades with Evenheiler himself.
No...
...If the other party got serious, at this distance, he wouldn't even have the chance to cause a minor inconvenience!
*You’ve provoked someone you shouldn't have, and you’re only now realizing... it was a bigger mistake than you imagined.*
Because in this matter, the greatest source of danger wasn't the opposing stances of the two or the upheaval of the galaxy, but—Lei Ting himself.
The corners of Evenheiler’s mouth twitched, forming a bitter smile.
“I really am good at screwing everything up...” he murmured hoarsely into the eyes of this forgiving sun. “You gave me a chance, didn't you?
“Can I know how many chances I have left?”
“...”
Lei Ting leaned in slightly, bringing his face close to the other’s.
“Guess?” he asked softly in return.
As always, his voice was as calm as still water.
“With you around, the Federation won't lack a combatant like me,” Evenheiler said quietly. “Is it the Federation that needs me, or you?”
“...”
Lei Ting straightened up.
He felt like laughing—a sweet or ironic laugh—at the lingering wariness, crisis, and everything else between them in this moment. Like the fact that old flames don't die out.
But he hadn't laughed sincerely and without baggage for a long time. Thinking about it now, he had almost forgotten how to laugh in a way that would seem more likable.
Therefore, in the end, he simply gave an answer that was no longer ambiguous:
“I need you, and humanity needs you, ‘Stellaris,’ Evenheiler,” he said. “We need you, just as humanity needs to unite and take up their swords again.
“As for what I told you in the past about the Resistance being a ‘backup’...”
Under Evenheiler’s slowly changing gaze, he said softly: “I’ve changed my mind.”
“Wait, what about your ‘Immovable’?!” Evenheiler stared at him, asking in a startled, angry voice: “Breaking your word? Deception? Or demanding everyone unite—even unite under your command? That’s not your style!”
“I have many styles, or rather, I can have them,” Lei Ting’s answer surpassed all of Evenheiler’s expectations. “For instance, right now, I want to obtain everything new that I desire. To that end, I will not only request; I will plunder.”
He clasped his hands together, not saying why he had to obtain, request, or plunder, nor mentioning any specific matter—such as the threats lurking in the dark reaches of space or the malice hidden within the Human Union’s borders.
“Fine. Dialogue over, my service unit.”
He lightly patted Evenheiler’s back, watching as the other was carried by a combat suit no longer under its master’s control. Amidst angry and slightly terrified struggling, Evenheiler bathed in sunlight as he flew out of the ‘Star-Alloy’ megastructure toward the distant Capital Planet.
Lei Ting, remaining where he was, suddenly turned his head. His gaze crossed the barriers of time and space to meet a pair of compassionate eyes flowing with blood and tears.
A moment later, Lei Ting did not offer a greeting to that angelic stone statue in the deep reaches of space. Instead, via a flash of light, he returned to the Human Union’s assembly hall.
***
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