The sensation of the upcoming system was a welcome relief for Anton. Of any place he could be, the void between stars was the least comfortable for him. Even Aipra had its own sense of comfort from the people there and the planet’s natural energy, limited as it was.

Here he was, at the end of his journey. Yet Anton felt no diminishing in the sense of urgency within himself. Instead, it heightened. The tiniest strand of his energy pierced ahead, finding the strange state of Vrelt’s planetary barrier as he had already been apprised. He immediately began searching for familiar energy, and within a few moments he found it. Beneath the barrier was Devon, embroiled in combat with numerous foes.

Anton was still at the very edge of the system. Or what could barely be called the system. He wasn’t just a few times further from the star than the planet he was seeking, but hundreds of times that. He only managed to pick out Devon because he was familiar, and of course being in the Enrichment stage helped. This wasn’t a system where he had a bound star, but he still had the energy of his other stars flowing through him.

There was no way Anton would be able to reach the battle at his current speed. Devon was already looking fatigued, and even if Anton pushed himself to his limits it could still take him an hour to reach him.

Anton closed his eyes, blocking out the light of the local sun and the other stars. He allowed himself a moment to focus as he clutched his bow. Then, he drew upon the power of a place he could never reach. The dense and distant energy of ascension did not fit him. Without the techniques of Fleeting Youth it would wrestle against him, trying to overcome him. But what he took was bound to his will. And what he wanted… was a single shot.

What was the point of practicing a technique if he never used it? It wasn’t even as far as he had previously attacked. Granted, he hadn’t been able to hit a target at such distances as it was all he could do was make it maintain its form. Either way, this was the option he had. His arrow burst forward, nearly negating his coreward momentum.

Then he was the arrow, flying through space. Zipping past outer planets- not that he actually drew close to most of them. Just one, slightly curving space which he allowed to deflect his trajectory.

Time meant nothing. His attack far surpassed any reasonable limitation on speed. Natural laws could not constrain it. He reached the barrier in what felt like mere moments. It slowed him no more than the surface of water, a momentary hitch after which he was free from restrictions. And then… he struck, the energy exploding in all directions as his attack landed.

Then Anton was back in himself. Perhaps he had put too much of himself into that shot. Both because he didn’t think he could manage it again… and because it was an unnecessary amount of power. Especially considering the results. His attack hadn’t even hit.

-----

There wasn’t a single moment that Devon sensed the arrow’s approach. It was beyond the limits of his senses, and then it had arrived. There was not a single moment in between, no time for him- or anyone else- to react.

So the first thing Devon comprehended was the explosion, tearing through a portion of the battlefield. It struck between him and the Ebon Skulls, wiping out half their undead army in an instant. Devon was nearly as awestruck as everyone else was, but recognizing the enemy he didn’t respond with fear. Instead, he lashed out at the nearest suit of armor- or perhaps a corpse encased by one. His chains lashed around it, taking advantage of the momentarily broken connection to render one of the most dangerous targets asunder. It was just slightly durable metal and flesh in that moment, not something representing an Anchoring cultivator’s power.

The next moment, Devon shared a look with the Ebon Skulls. Immediately following that, they acted as one, forcing their armies to converge on him. Yet at the same time, they themselves withdrew. No, they fled.

The Creeping Fire Sect cultivators were further from the location of impact, so perhaps they got a more subdued impression. That is to say, it took them a minute to begin their flight- a minute during which Devon had disentangled himself from the swarming masses of the necromancer army, which was now little more than a pile of scrap and corpses. Not that he’d destroyed them all personally, but with their controllers getting further and further away they could not act.

Devon moved to cut off the retreat of the remaining two. Taalay and Ashildr had been fighting against them, and all seemed equally worn down- which meant that the addition of Devon would spell their swift defeat. He only caught one of them- unfortunately not Anki- but he had only tried to stop one, since he didn’t wish to risk both escaping. Injuring two Anchoring cultivators was worth far less than removing one from the equation entirely.

“You’re smiling,” Taalay commented when everything had settled down. “Did you know this was going to happen?”

Devon laughed. “Of course not. Otherwise I would have told you to delay for exactly this long.” And yet… just because he didn’t know didn’t mean there wasn’t some part of him that believed. Devon’s chains symbolized how he broke free from those chains, taking control of his own life. But he could have a little bit of that freedom and his ability to decide the course of his own destiny… while still very much appreciating his grandpa saving his life. And to be fair, he had asked for him to come.

-----

A little more than an hour later and a man-sized hole was torn in the barrier, the local area of which was slightly weakened after having been directly punctured by a single attack. The barrier could seal itself even after the previous extreme attack of the cultivator, but up close he was able to hold it open long enough to get through.

He flew down towards the Runic Complex, stopping just outside their barely functional barrier. This was the point where he would give his name and ask for entry… normally. “Devon! Tell them to open the stupid barrier!”

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Not long after, Anton found himself face to face with one of the longest beards he had seen. It rivaled Elder Varela of the Grasping Willows, perhaps even putting it to shame. There was another old woman as well, standing cautiously as he approached. And then Devon.

Devon gestured. “This is Anton. Sect Head of the Order of One Hundred Stars. But you should probably address him by his name.”

“... Are you sure that’s alright?” Taalay raised a bushy eyebrow.

“Don’t worry, he’ll tell you how he feels,” Devon grinned. “Won’t you?”

“Yep,” Anton said. He looked at Devon’s arm- or lack thereof- and his face fell for a brief moment. “And now’s not the time for formality. I have a very important question for you. Taalay of the Supreme Silver Sect, I believe?”

Taalay nodded. “Of course. What is the question?”

“It is partially a question, partially a request. And you are one of those whose opinions matter. May I bond to your star? I would like permission.”

“Yes,” Taalay said.

“You see, the reason is- just like that?” Anton tilted his head.

“I was told to expect this. I haven’t heard the responses of everyone yet, but for my personal part I agree. You… don’t have to ask, do you?”

“I don’t,” Anton confirmed.

“Then the fact that you are asking makes me want to agree. Though if I could make one request here?”

“Tell me,” Anton said.

“One of our companions here… Cai of Marvelous Rabbit Mountain. He was separated from us on the battlefield and he hasn’t returned yet.”

“Marvelous Rabbit Mountain…” Anton swept his senses across the nearby area, picking up some traces of energy. He followed them quite a bit further. Several hundred kilometers, in fact. Holding his bow in hand, he took several shots one after the other. “He should be fine. He’s on his way back. So what is your request?”

“That… was the request,” Taalay said.

“He’s not even from your planet,” Anton pointed out.

“Cai is still one of our allies. If a bit… overly enthusiastic.”

“He’s also my ally, you know. Even if I haven’t fought alongside him personally,” Anton said. “I wouldn’t just leave him. Especially not as a companion of my grandson.”

“I just thought it might be beneath you.”

“The only thing beneath me right now is a bunch of dirt. And formations. And… some rather extensive tunnels.” Anton shook his head. “Should have stopped at the dirt. Might have been funny. Regardless, I’m not going to show up and then… not involve myself.” He turned to Devon, looking at his communicator. “What’s this about information transfers?”

Devon gestured towards the formation. “The Trigold Cluster is transferring comprehensive information about the local post-Life Transformation stage. It’s mostly complete, but we could potentially stop it. Or corrupt it.”

“I said only if you could take over all of them within the month,” Ashildr pointed out.

“I see,” Anton said. “Then we’ve no time to lose. Taalay, you know who else we should talk to about the sun thing, correct?” Anton looked at Ashildr. “Also, Devon, what’s your opinion on her? She’s a local for certain. But I was hearing things about conflicts.”

“She was doing what she had to, I think,” Devon explained. “Or at least what she thought she had to, while mitigating some of her actual contributions.”

“Fine. Your opinion then? Same question,” Anton said.

Ashildr looked somewhat blindsided.“About… bonding to our sun?”

“That’s right.”

“Will it… cause it any harm?”

“It shouldn’t,” Anton said. “I’d really rather my bonded stars remain healthy. I’ve done my best not to cause them any harm so far, with great success.”

“I suppose I agree, then,” she said.

“Great.” Anton held his hand out towards Taalay. “Grab on. I’m exhausted, so we should probably get this over with as soon as possible.”

“Get what over with?” Taalay asked, reaching forward his hand.

“Visiting all of the others.” Anton grasped his forearm and pulled them both upward.

-----

After a flurry of being dragged from sect to sect to personally get answers, Taalay wondered how a self-proclaimed exhausted man could drag him around so easily, flying like it meant nothing. Taalay could fly if he needed to, but he was generally more comfortable with his feet on the ground. This Anton fellow was far too comfortable tearing through out of the atmosphere as he hopped from place to place.

“I’m not sure I got fully honest answers,” Anton said to him as they took a break in the Supreme Silver Sect. Taalay was somewhat worried about how things might be with the Runic Complex, but it wouldn’t take long for them to return at the speed this man had been dragging him around. “But I’m at least glad that people have been consenting to my request.”

“I don’t think anyone would dare to lie to you… Anton,” Taalay said.

“That’s just the thing, isn’t it? They were certainly truthful, but not without some reluctance. But I am aware my presence itself was something of a coercion.”

“I suppose so. But they really need to agree. This… bond. It would make you a more effective combatant?” Taalay asked.

“Indeed,” Anton said.

“Then we have to agree, not from the threat of you but of the Trigold Cluster. Most people were leaning towards agreement anyway, and us flying in just encouraged them to make up their minds faster.”

“Anyone else we should see?”

“Well, we certainly have the majority. I guess of the important individuals… Heath? I haven’t asked him.”

“We’ll do that… in a bit. I have to go talk to someone.”

“Here?” Taalay asked.

“From our alliance,” Anton said. “We should have lunch.”

“Well, actually...” Taalay had some ideas about that himself.