Black Light rippled.
Not violently.
Not aggressively.
It rippled the way an ocean does when something vast shifts beneath the surface.
Ashura paused mid-step within a collapsing dimensional rift, kuroha dissolving into shadow at his side. His gaze lifted—not toward a direction, but toward intent.
"…Hmm."
A smile curved across his face, slow and amused.
"So that's what that was," he murmured. "Sovereigns… from another realm?"
The Black Light around him folded inward, and the rift behind him sealed as if it had never existed.
"Interesting."
Far away—yet impossibly close—in the universe of Earth-10, space itself trembled.
Eight presences arrived without fanfare, without portals, without light.
They simply were.
Stars dimmed around them. Gravity warped. Causality stuttered.
The Sovereigns hovered near the outer edge of the system, gazing upon a familiar blue planet orbiting a golden star.
For a moment, none of them spoke.
Then—
"…Something's wrong," Lexus said quietly.
His light flickered, not in strength, but in uncertainty.
Sailor's eyes narrowed, pupils fracturing into countless reflective layers. "Very wrong. I can perceive everything in this universe—yet there's a distortion centered on that planet. Like perception itself is being… ignored."
Nar crossed his arms, primordial darkness coiling lazily around him. "Hmph. Feels like standing in front of a beast that hasn't opened its eyes yet."
Before anyone could respond—
"Don't move."
Silas spoke calmly, but the weight behind his words froze even Yamamoto mid-motion.
"Not another step," Silas continued. "If you value your existence, stay exactly where you are."
The Sovereigns turned toward him.
Silas was staring ahead—at empty space.
Then space split.
No explosion.
No distortion.
A black portal opened—perfectly circular, perfectly still, swallowing light and law alike.
From it, a man stepped through.
Black coat fluttering gently despite the absence of wind.
Crimson eyes calm, amused, ancient.
Black Light clung to him like an unspoken truth.
Ashura Bellet.
"Good perception," Ashura said casually, eyes flicking to Sailor, then settling on Silas. "If you'd taken one more step, I'd have erased half of you out of reflex."
The atmosphere tightened.
Demetri felt his authority recoil.
Julius felt time refuse to respond.
Lexus felt light hesitate.
Ashura looked over them slowly, as if appraising art.
"And I can tell from your intents," he continued, "that you don't actually know why you were sent here. Or what your real mission is."
His smile sharpened—playful, but dangerous.
"But I can say this much—you're the strongest among the rest. No filler. No pawns."
His gaze landed on Silas.
Silas exhaled once, steadying himself, then grinned.
"So you really are the Eternal One," Silas said. "Ashura, Sovereign of Black Light."
Ashura tilted his head.
"That's me," he replied lightly. "In the flesh."
The Black Light behind him pulsed once—soft, but infinite.
Ashura spread his hands slightly, posture relaxed.
"Now," he said, voice calm yet carrying across the void, "tell me."
Crimson eyes locked onto Silas—then swept across all eight Sovereigns.
"What is your purpose for coming here?"