[FOR EVERY 100 POWERSTONES = 1 EXTRA CHAPTER]
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The walk to the castle was a journey through a world thrumming with raw, untamed power. John's Six Eyes, now operating in a new reality, were in a state of constant, ecstatic analysis. He understood now. Chakra, magic, cosmic energy—they were all branches of the same immense tree, different expressions of the fundamental force that wove the universe together. The very air was saturated with it, a vibrant, wild energy that felt less structured than chakra but far more ancient. The castle ahead wasn't just built with stone and mortar; it was woven with intent, its foundations laid with powerful enchantments that hummed with a deep, resonant frequency. It was a living thing, a bastion of magic.
As they approached the grand entrance, a new couple emerged. The man was young, perhaps in his late twenties, dressed in robes of silver and gold that shimmered with subtle enchantments, his bearing radiating a princely, almost arrogant confidence. Beside him, a gentle-faced woman with a noticeable pregnancy bump walked with a serene grace. Their eyes, sharp and magically attuned, immediately locked onto the newcomers. The man's gaze swept over John's strange, sapphire-blue eyes, lingered on the impossibly majestic Agni, and widened in shock at Sharon's ethereal, High Elf beauty.
Salazar Slytherin stepped forward smoothly. "Ruffes. Roselyn. We found them at the forest's edge. They seek Merlin."
The young man, Ruffes, turned his assessing gaze to John. "Is that so? And who seeks my great-grandfather?"
John met his gaze, the authority of the King and the Uchiha clan head settling easily upon his shoulders. "I am John Ashborn Pendragon. This is my wife, Sharon Joyce. We have traveled far to speak with him."
The name 'Pendragon' did its work. Ruffes's arrogant posture softened into one of wary respect. "A Pendragon… here? Forgive my earlier tone, your majesty. I am Ruffes Embryos, third-generation grandson of Merlin. This is my wife, Roselyn. My grandfather is in deep meditation but will join us when he is able. Please, come in. You are most welcome."
But Salazar was muttered "Ashborn" Where I was Heard this Name He Question Himself Silently
They were led into a dining hall that was a curious blend of rustic strength and burgeoning elegance—a precursor to the Great Hall of Hogwarts. John and Sharon, drawing on a lifetime of navigating political minefields and another lifetime of modern composure, took their seats with a natural grace that clearly impressed their hosts.
Ruffes, his curiosity piqued, gestured to Sharon. "And your lady? Her lineage is… remarkable."
"Sharon is my wife," John stated firmly, his arm resting protectively behind her chair. "And this," he indicated Agni, who was preening her fiery feathers on the back of his chair, "is Agni, our family's guardian."
At that moment, Agni, deciding to be polite, sent a telepathic greeting to the entire table. "It is a pleasure to meet the Owner's of this place. The magic here is… vibrant."
The effect was instantaneous and comical.
Godric Gryffindor choked on his mead. Rowena Ravenclaw's fork clattered onto her golden plate. Helga Hufflepuff let out a small squeak of surprise. Salazar Slytherin's eyes widened to an almost comical degree. Ruffes Embryos looked as if he'd been struck by lightning.
It was Salazar who found his voice first, standing up so abruptly his chair scraped back. "You… you are not only a Pendragon? You are an Celestial Blood wielder? A true descendant of the Ashborn line? Protected by the Celestial Bird?"
John, completely blindsided, could only manage a slow, cautious nod. He had no idea what an 'Ashborn' was supposed to be, but the System had written the card, and he had to play the hand he was dealt.
The moment he nodded, the entire table—the four legendary founders and the grandson of Merlin—turned as one and bowed deeply, not to John, but to Agni.
Agni, utterly flustered, flapped her wings. "What in the burning skies are you doing? Stop that!"
John, shaking off his own stupor, waved a hand. "Please, stand. What is the meaning of this? Agni is our companion, our protector. Not a deity."
Rowena looked at him with a mixture of pity and reverence. "Sir John, you truly do not know? Your ancestors must have hidden this history to protect you. But we know. We are keepers of the old lore."
Helga, her eyes shining with fervor, picked up the tale. "In the dawn times, this world was filled with mighty races—giants, dragons, elves, and one of the highest powered Race Celestials, Finally Human's. Humans were the weakest, prey for all. But one man, the first Ashborn, was different. He was stranded and desperate for power to protect his people. He traveled to the ends of the earth and found the World Tree, and residing within it, a bird of such beauty and power it was beyond comprehension."
Godric leaned forward, his voice a hushed, dramatic rumble. "The bird ignored him at first. But it was intrigued. This human was weak, yet he never gave up. He followed a path of relentless determination to find an peaceful land for his race. One day, he confronted an evil dragon, an outcast who tormented human villages for sport."
Salazar took over, his voice cold and precise. "The human fought. He was hopelessly outmatched, torn and broken, lying in a pool of his own blood, moments from death. That was when the bird revealed itself. It grew to a size that blotted out the sun, its wingspan rivaling the mountains. It descended upon the evil dragon and erased it from existence with a fire so pure it left no ash."
Ruffes Embryos finished the story, his voice filled with awe. "The bird came to the dying man. It asked him, 'Why did you not yield? Why fight a battle you could not win?' And the man, with his last breath, said, 'If I yield, my people have no future. We are weak, but we are not worthless. I will make us strong. I will see us rise, even if I must be born from my own ashes to do it.' Moved by his spirit, the bird used its sacred Nirvana fire. It did not heal him; it reincarnated him, body and soul, infusing him with a drop of its own celestial blood. It said, 'You, who are born from ashes, shall be called Ashborn. I, Celestial bird of the magic Agni, will walk with you and your line until the last of your blood, to witness the rise of humanity.'"
There was a profound silence in the hall.
Inside John's mind, a silent, furious rant was underway. CURSED SYSTEM! WHAT IN THE NAME OF THE SAGE OF SIX PATHS HAVE YOU DONE?! YOU DIDN'T JUST GIVE US A BACKGROUND, YOU MADE US THE PROPHECIED HEROES OF A CREATION MYTH!
Agni's telepathic voice was a screech of pure, avian outrage in his head. Indra! no John! Give me the control of that thrice-damned System for one minute! I will cleanse it with my Nirvana fire until it sings a song of apology and tells us what other apocalyptic legacies it has saddled us with!
As if on cue, the System's neutral voice piped up in John's mind, sounding almost… petulant. You never asked for specifications, Host. You provided the template. I optimized. I always strive to provide the highest-level identity and tools to ensure your survival and success. My primary function is to protect you.
John didn't know whether to laugh hysterically or weep. He had powerful, divine bloodlines. Agni was apparently a sun deity-level entity in this world's cosmology. Sharon was one of the last of a mythical race. It was a blessing of unimaginable power. It was also a curse of unimaginable responsibility. It meant they were now central figures in a history they barely understood, with a target on their backs for every power-hungry wizard or ancient evil that knew the legends.
All his simmering anger, all his frustration, finally found its true focus: Black Zetsu. This was all his fault. That slimy, shadowy bastard's sealing attempt had hurled them into this cosmic comedy of errors. The cosmos wasn't just playing with his life; it was writing a blooper reel.
He took a deep breath, looked at the expectant, reverent faces of the founders and the Embryos family, and managed a strained, polite smile.
"Well," John said, his voice remarkably steady. "That… certainly explains a few things. More mead, please."
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