Chapter 3: Duality
Heavenly Star Palace
Time.
For the Heavenly Star Palace
It is an incredibly vague expression.
Not only are the beings here ageless and perpetually immortal.
They could only be defined by a single word:
'Gods'
Regardless of whether some were weaker than others or the most.
Simply possessing a Spiritual Body was enough to grant that title.
No matter how one looked at it,
For beings like these, life could only unfold in monotonous and unfeeling moments.
Of course.
The environment inside the Heavenly Star Palace reflected this entirely.
Perpetual moment.
It observed no night cycle.
Rather than day nor night cycle, as thus, no words could describe it more than,
'Existing moment' … more than just fleeting; one could even say 'eternal' if they were to overglorify the words.
As such, even when a day passes in the Cardinal World, there remains only a single moment here.
For ten years may pass, and it would simply be nothing more than a moment.
Right now—
Fifth Layer.
Helion walked across the greenery of the fifth layer, near the streams.
Its soothing waters rushed about, bringing about a sense of calmness.
For the suppressed turmoils welling up within him were completely with this scenery.
Chirp chirp~
All of this was accompanied by the distant sounds of what seemed to be bird chirping.
"Yes! I've finally understood! Haha! Listen to this.. what if I take part of my own flesh?!"
But... the ramblings of a mad scientist by his side soon bought him out of his zen.
Roughly, they were around the same height.
Hell, they almost had that uncanny resemblance.
Except Helion's hair was long, and his was kept short.
Despite the mania lacing his words, Twilight's face remained eerily composed.
It would've been best if Veldanava had left Twilight to his own devices.
But well, well, the Creator had screwed him over.
"So, rather than soil, it's creating man from oneself?"
..right, though Twilight was a spiritual being, he possessed a material body unlike his.
Considering there were no means of production, he only had to make use of what he had.
Quite resourceful.
Helion had to give the Divine Ancestor that, since magic apparently wasn't omnipotent either.
Still… Twilight's conclusion came quickly.
If he were to count it, a day.
Yes, in human terms, it has only been a day.
As expected of a nutcase.
"By the way, I heard about the beasts that exist below and the limited races."
"I'm sure of it! I can make a 'masterpiece' worthy of receiving Veldanava-sama attention!"
On and on.
Twilight simply wouldn't stop rambling, would he?
Helion came to an abrupt stop, watching the Divine Ancestor prance around him.
Everywhere they went, Twilight kept spilling out strange ideas, one after another.
Man and beast union, man and spirit union, with the concept of 'man' being the middle point.
Helion had long since truly understood.
Mad scientist.
No other phrase fit Twilight better.
They had barely taken another step when—
"Forgive me. But… you two are far too loud."
A voice drifted from the left, near the edge of the stream they walked beside.
The owner of the voice was at the very bank of the stream, her barefooted legs dipped into the soothing water.
Pale young woman with long black hair with magenta highlights.
Hair tied into two side-plaits resting just over her shoulders with white ribbon around it in an X-shape.
Wearing a white X-shaped lace mask covering her closed eyes.
Along with a flowing white and indigo-blue dress with large hanging panels falling from her shoulders.
More different was, perhaps, the fact that she had her wings at the back of her head rather than her back.
"Who?"
"Oh, it's Helion."
Her voice was soft, lilted, as though speaking were a chore.
Her skin was pale.. so pale that even the smallest cut could have marred it grotesquely.
But.. for beings like them,
Concepts like admiration or lust were lost on them.
No, still, Helion did try to appreciate her beauty.
She, after all, was even more beautiful to behold than the other female Seraphim.
Yet, his body and soul, caught between two boundaries, resisted the feeling.
"..You are?"
Hearing his words, she tilted her head slightly, upward.
Then she lowered it again.
"It is as they say. You've forgotten."
Helion said nothing for a moment, simply gazing at the Angel's back when,
Beside him, an insensitive idiot decided to open his mouth and…
"Someone you know?"
Read the room, you shitty Ancestor.
You can hear her words. How could you come to such conclusions?
That's what he'd say if he weren't being restrained by his current vessel.
"Luniselle. That's my name. Do make sure not to forget it this time."
In the end, Helion merely nodded, casting one last glance at her before continuing on with Twilight.
But that interaction,
It didn't only affect Helion.
Their interaction stirred something in Twilight as well.
An epiphany he never would have reached otherwise.
'That interaction between two.'
Obviously, they looked different.
Appearance wise, they existed differently.
Fundamental principles of their appearances itself differed between them.
One plus one.
'Angel. Distinctive appearances one has from the other. Man.'
He kept musing as his feet brushed over the grassy plain.
At some point, Helion noticed that expression, but decided to keep to himself for the time being.
"What if… two men, or a man and one that isn't a man, but opposite in form were to meet, and together they could give birth…?"
Like a crackhead theorist,
Twilight tilted his head, holding his chin deep in thoughts as he mulled it.
It sounded almost plausible, yet something was missing.
And inadvertently—
"So.. a man and a woman, huh?"
The words slipped from Helion's lips before he could stop them.
By the time he realized, it was too late.
His lost gaze met the horizon, with thinned lips, almost in regret as he felt Twilight's piercing stare.
"Hahaha! Woman! That's right! Their union should bring forth another like themselves!"
"I'm surprised you didn't think of a tree that generates children."
"It's also called Children? Child of man. How fitting."
Despite inadvertently making fun of Twilight, the man passed it for an insightful knowledge.
Helion was more appalled than amused, but...
Yes, he had to hand it to him.
The concept of 'Woman' was still vague.
Inadvertently, he had contributed to history just like that.
"Let us make man in our own image, Veldanava-sama had said. I now understand the meaning of those words."
Still with ongoing mania, as winds brushed against their clothes, Twilight's hands were up in the sky.
Helion simply watched.
Since he was already deep into it, why not.
Like Twilight, he raised his gaze to the endless sky, and then..
"Their names shall be Adam and Eve."
Completely swept up in the moment, he proclaimed it.
And that, of all things, was what finally won Twilight over.
Without a heartbeat's hesitation,
Twilight turned to him with eyes bright against his otherwise unchanging face.
"For a moment, I believed you were a spoil sort, but I'm glad thou hast proved me wrong."
He extended his hand toward the Angel.
"I look forward to working with you, Guardian."
To be honest, it sounded tedious.
But then again, what else was there to do in this world?
Nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
—Other than obeying corporate orders and remaining the target of scornful gazes by his brethren.
So perhaps, he thought, he might as well play along.
Play a role in this creation, and see where it led.
Humanity's Guardian Angel.
Sounded… cool enough.
And with that said—
"Fine by me, Primogenitor. Do as you wish. Simply keep your hands away from my brethren."
Twilight didn't answer with words.
He only scoffed, dismissing the comment with a careless wave of his hand.
"For now, I suggest we take this to Veldanava-sama. If possible, I'd prefer the experiment be conducted away from prying eyes."
Perhaps it was because he was growing far too invested in the idea of becoming the guiding light of history.
Helion spoke again.
"An isolated dimension in the Cardinal World?"
"Yes, that would be best."
Without wasting much of their time, both of them took off with a snap from Helion.
Using the Extra Skill «Spatial Motion».
The destination: Veldanava's Throne Room, to be exact, to relay every piece of information about his findings.
Its name, courtesy of Helion, was called:
Eden.
A project meant to explore the union of male and female, to create one of their own kind.
To put it specifically,
Said concept wasn't lost on the Creator.
"Hm.. that's interesting."
After all, the duality of opposing forms had always existed since the dawn of the creation.
Good and evil, creation and destruction, man and woman, angels and devils.
All of this threads knitted itself together during the dawn of creation.
Perhaps even the creation of the Devils had been influenced by that same balance.
"It makes much sense with your explanation."
Seated upon his throne, Veldanava's face shone with delight.
Brightness seemed to dawn across his features; to say he was happy was an understatement.
"Man being able to reproduce without the aid of the Divine, now that is something I look forward to!"
Of course, as Veldanava beamed, so did Twilight.
He side-eyed Helion beside him almost childishly, but he received no reply or so much as an acknowledgment.
"If everything is proceeding this well, then you must already have an idea of what to do."
"Yes, my lord. We propose an isolated area. After all, every little factor would affect the project."
How would these beings react to magicules, their environment, and all?
Twilight had considered this.
And Helion had proposed the name: Eden.
Knowledge was the easy part.
The question was only how much Twilight's own power would influence the creation of these beings.
"Rest assured. I will see to your wish."
Even if the proposal had not been so elaborate, he likely would have granted it regardless.
It made Helion question.
'Are you truly impartial because you're the creator, or are you... forget it.'
He cut the thought short.
It was a foolish question.
Regardless—
It had been approved.
"Once again, thank you very much for this privilege."
"Don't mind it. And Helion, you are to accompany Twilight down there. Do freely as you wish."
As I wish.
Helion's train of thought froze.
Did Veldanava know?
Did he know how suffocating this place was for him?
How stagnant it felt to exist here among eternal zealots?
Was that why he had assigned him to Twilight in the first place?
Regardless of whether he was thinking too much into it or not, he promptly gave a short bow.
"Yes. I shall see to it."
"Ugh… you're too stiff."
A weary expression crossed Veldanava's features, but, despite that.
Despite appearing stuck up, excitement was welling up inside him.
After all,
He had no desire to remain confined in this palace, surrounded by blind faith and worship.
More so, perpetual eternity.
"Giants, fairies, the potential is limitless."
Like Twilight had said, he too was interested in this.
The world outside.
Now that Veldanava had granted permission, he had no reason to refuse.
"Now then, please excuse us, Sir Veldanava."
For obvious reasons, he did not call the Creator Lord, as the others so dutifully did.
Veldanava knew of this—
As did Feldway, who appeared soon after the two vanished through «Spatial Motion».
"My Lord."
Feldway's gaze had moved over to where they had been before they took away.
It wasn't hard to guess.
"Leave him be. He is dutiful in his own way. In truth, you might even say I'm the wicked one."
Veldanava softly said that.
For a brief moment, the Creator's expression saddened as he then continued.
"After all, I'm sending him away from here."
At those words, Feldway's hands clenched. His teeth ground together.
"No—"
But before he could continue, Veldanava raised a hand, halting him in silence.
And that gesture alone made the First Created falter.
Of course, it was a cruel thing.
Depending on how one chose to see it.
But Veldanava was not so heartless as to ignore it, or rather, not notice and then to shame him.
Still, despite saying that—
It didn't mean eternal banishment from the Star Palace.
Yet, he could clearly see that his heart was not here.
"That child has fallen. It should have been then, when he went against your orders, Feldway."
Feldway didn't say a word, simply staring at where they had left from.
To him, Helion was now nothing more than a blight among the Angels.
It wasn't like they were guarding it like a secret or something, rather…
"Still, my Lord, is it wise? Someone so corrupted might taint the—"
"Feldway, enough. This is my decision."
Once more, Veldanava silenced Feldway, prompting him to bow shortly, remaining in place.
In the end, the Creator sighed.
Nothing ever goes as smoothly as one wishes.
But that was okay.
Despite this, he still looked forward to the future that Twilight and Helion would create.