Chapter 317: Time Is... Weird

"Alright, don’t burn me alive," Akasha said. "How about we leave the past where it is... Ahem, I’m Akasha. Nice to meet you."

Amaterasu stared at him as flame flickered once along her pale wrists and died down out of sheer stubbornness.

"Hmph," she said, pouting, crossing her arms tightly over her chest, and answering like a shy teenager.

"Amaterasu..... Helios."

’What a tsundere,’ Akasha thought with a light chuckle. He had always believed her to be that way, but seeing it so plainly was amusing.

"Truly," Nara agreed, chuckling alongside him as she shook her head, her green hair swaying gently over her shoulders.

"I still can’t figure you out."

Even after all these years, while it wasn’t like she spent long spans of time with Akasha... for most people, you would at least know what to expect...

But with Akasha, you never knew when he was truly serious... or why he did anything.

"He... just seems so hypocritical," Nara thought to herself as the quiet settled in, wrapping around her like a heavy blanket.

Her fingers fidgeted at the edge of her sleeve, twisting the fabric as if it might somehow untangle the knot in her mind.

"So," She finally said as she took a short breath, gazing back at Akasha.

"What does that mean for our old arrangement?"

"Well," Akasha said with a slight shrug; to him, things were exactly as he wanted them. "I consider both of you as my allies... If you ever have a problem, call."

Akasha had already led them into the Land of Elsewhere, offering brief glimpses of what he could do for them, and it was clear he regarded them as comrades.

They might not have earned such a position, but Akasha believed it was wiser to keep familiar faces close rather than seek out strangers—at least in the beginning.

However, as he looked at Nara in this moment, he realized that simply keeping things as they were would not be enough.

"What if... what if we became branches of your Pantheon instead?" Nara asked, her tone careful yet her eyes steady, as though she had pondered this idea countless times.

Akasha’s smile broadened, but instead of replying, his gaze drifted lazily toward Amaterasu, who was already stomping her feet.

"Nara!" she shouted, uncrossing her arms as she turned on the elf, flames flickering along her hairline.

"What nonsense are you talking about?"

"Amaterasu..." Nara said, her smile turning wry, though her gaze never wavered from Akasha’s.

"Please, would you stop being difficult?"

It was clear why someone as old as she was would be willing to abandon everything she had built to become a mere branch of another Pantheon.

Yet, could she really be blamed?

Akasha had not only altered her destiny, but also transformed the fate of every being under her Pantheon’s banner.

The same was true for Nara, and that’s without even mentioning how he had brought them into a place where their power could soar beyond what they had previously possessed—the Cosmic Union.

Simply put, Akasha seemed like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, the kind of person you would do anything to be tied to.

"You know," Akasha said, shrugging casually. "I don’t mind that either... but becoming my ally means actually putting forth some work."

Much like Harlan, who was not just an ally but a figure within his Pantheon overseeing the Academy of Dreams, if Nara and Amaterasu were to become branch pantheons, they would need to prove their worth.

While he had no issue with enhancing the power of his allies, it would only be on his own terms or if they could present a compelling reason.

Beyond that, the treasures and secrets of the Land of Elsewhere would remain strictly off-limits.

This basically meant that Harlan and any other Branch Member had to accomplish something or contribute in some way to earn a reward.

As for Harlan, all he needed to do was keep an eye out for talented disciples.

Nara’s smile brightened as she nodded her head.

"It’s a deal, then."

She turned, caught Amaterasu by the wrist, and dragged her towards the doors despite the act she was putting on.

"Pull Amaterasu Helios," She said as she spoke in the Language of Gods, "Into the red door... please."

HUMMMMM!!!!!!

In an instant, the red door swung open, revealing nothing but a yawning black void. Nara!!! Wai—""Amaterasu began, her voice cutting off as she tried to speak again, but before the words could fully form, a burst of light swept her away mid-protest, her lips still shaping the next syllables.

A heartbeat later, the door swallowed her whole.

Nara lingered in the lingering warmth of Amaterasu, then turned to give Akasha one last glance beneath the white and pink blossoms of the Universal Tree of Want.

"Akasha," she murmured, her green eyes half-lidded as she gave a single nod.

"You’d better reach out soon."

The smile she offered afterward was pure and radiant, and she carried it with her through the green door before it could shift into something more weighty.

Harlan watched the empty color settle and let out a low laugh, short white hair neat, the headmaster coming back into his shoulders as if someone had handed him a coat he had only set down.

"Lord Dream..." He said, bowing slightly. "It looks like it’s time I resume my duty as Headmaster."

After his words, Akasha only nodded his head as Harlan took one step toward the purple door.

"Young Master, Melvin," he said, stopping just before stepping inside, "Before you two go courting death... pay me a visit."

For a brief moment, the pond became perfectly still.

Calyx’s diamond-like eyes shifted toward Melvin’s face and remained fixed there.

Melvin stayed silent, but that silence was all Harlan needed as a slight confirmation; then, without turning back be entered through the door.

After he left, the peaceful mood returned, and Melvin’s eyes slowly pulled away from the door leading to the Academy of Dreams.

"So," Melvin said with a brief sigh, glancing at Akasha. "What’s next?"

Akasha responded with a calm, unhurried smile.

"Now," he said, gesturing with his hands, causing the pond before them to ripple.

"We wait... someone will come knocking eventually... they always do."

Melvin raised an eyebrow, but Akasha paid him no attention as he continued.

"Show me... Sunya Ultos."