Chapter 42 — The Asuras
Morning sunlight spilled through the tall windows of Lin Xuan's mansion, painting the polished floors in warm gold. The house was awake early—quiet footsteps in the corridors, distant voices, the low hum of engines warming up in the garage below. It was one of those rare mornings that felt normal.
Too normal.
In the garage, Vaibhav stood beside his car, one hand resting on the door as the engine purred softly. He glanced toward Alicia just as she stepped closer.
He opened the door for her without thinking.
Alicia paused for half a second, then slid into the passenger seat, smoothing her hair back as she settled in. She looked up at him, a faint smile touching her lips.
"Ready?" Vaibhav asked, closing the door gently.
She nodded. "Let's go."
The engine responded immediately, smooth and controlled, and the car rolled out of the garage, disappearing down the long road leading away from the mansion.
A few spaces away, Shin stretched lazily beside his own car, arms raised high as he let out a wide yawn. He cracked his neck once, rolled his shoulders, and grinned to himself.
"Alright," he muttered, opening the driver's door. "Date mode—on."
The tires screeched just a little as he pulled out, far less controlled than Vaibhav's exit, and the car shot down the road toward the city.
Shin arrived at Nanao's house faster than necessary.
When the door opened, Nanao stepped out wearing casual clothes—a clean white shirt tucked into a soft denim skirt, dark green hair tied neatly back. She looked relaxed, comfortable.
Shin leaned against the hood of his car, arms crossed, grin already in place.
"You look way too cute for someone who's about to be kidnapped by me."
Nanao rolled her eyes as she walked closer. "You talk too much."
"Ouch," Shin said dramatically, opening the door for her. "Straight to the heart."
They got in, and the car sped off almost immediately.
Their first stop was the amusement park.
By mid-morning, it was already alive—music blaring, people shouting, rides clanking and whirring overhead. Shin looked like he'd just entered his natural habitat.
"This one," he said, pointing at a ride that twisted violently in the air. "We're starting there."
Nanao's eyes lit up. "I was hoping you'd say that."
They rode everything.
Roller coasters that dropped so fast Shin raised both hands and laughed like a lunatic. Spinning rides that left them dizzy. Free-fall towers where Nanao screamed louder than anyone else—then demanded to go again.
"Shin! Stop raising your hands like that!" she shouted as the coaster plunged.
"Never!" he yelled back, hair flying.
By the time they staggered out, they were laughing, breathless, adrenaline still buzzing. They grabbed ice creams and wandered around aimlessly, arguing about flavors and laughing at nothing.
Eventually, tired but satisfied, they decided to watch a movie.
The theater was mostly empty.
A few couples sat scattered across the rows, some lone viewers further back. The lights dimmed, and the anime film began—slow, atmospheric, heavy on backstory and character moments.
Shin leaned back in his seat, arms behind his head.
"Finally," he whispered. "Something chill."
For about twenty minutes, it stayed that way.
Then—
"Show some action!!"
A loud voice echoed from the back.
"Why are they even showing backstory of a f@cking demon?!" the man continued, clearly drunk or just stupid. "This is trash!"
The entire theater turned to look.
Shin exhaled sharply through his nose. "Of course."
He stood up, turned around, and shouted back without hesitation.
"Oh yeah? You want action? Then come to your mama's bedroom—I'll show you action there, you son of a b*tch!"
The room froze.
Then a few people snorted, trying—and failing—not to laugh.
The man stormed down the stairs, face red with fury. "Say that again!"
Before either of them could take another step, security guards rushed in. Their movements were sharp, disciplined—far too clean to be normal theater staff. Heavy uniforms, reinforced boots.
They grabbed Shin and the man at the same time.
Nanao covered her face with her hand. "Not again…"
One of the guards started to speak—until Shin calmly reached into his pocket.
He pulled out a black card.
At its center was an embossed insignia: a circular sigil formed by interlocking geometric lines, with a stylized vertical blade cutting through the middle. At the top of the circle, a small star-like crest glowed faintly red, as if alive.
The same symbol was engraved—much smaller—on the guards' badges.
The guards froze.
Then, in perfect unison, they bowed deeply.
"We apologize, Young Master!"
The shouting man stared, confused and terrified.
Shin smirked. "Yeah. That's more like it."
Without another word, the guards dragged the man out of the hall, ignoring his protests entirely.
Shin sat back down like nothing had happened.
"See?" he said lightly. "Problem solved."
Nanao sighed, shaking her head—but a small smile betrayed her.
The rest of the movie passed without incident.
Afterward, they returned to the amusement park, riding gentler attractions as the afternoon faded. A ferris wheel ride let the city stretch out beneath them, lights beginning to flicker on one by one.
At a target-shooting booth, Nanao beat Shin twice in a row.
He stared at the score. "I let you win."
She laughed. "Sure you did."
By evening, the sky had turned deep orange as Shin parked near Skyhaven—the luxury restaurant owned by Lin Xuan's guild, it was floating 8 feet above the land.
Lights shimmered beneath the transparent flooring.
Shin stepped out and stretched. "Alright. Dinner time."
He walked in with Nanao.
The moment Shin and Nanao entered Skyhaven, the scent of expensive spices and polished marble filled the air. The restaurant floated hundreds of meters above the city, suspended by invisible energy cores. Golden light gleamed through the ceiling glass, revealing the skyline far below.
A service robot glided toward them on silent wheels, its metallic frame engraved with the emblem of Lin Xuan's guild — In the center was an embossed insignia: a circular sigil formed by interlocking geometric lines, with a stylized vertical blade cutting through the middle. At the top of the circle, a small star-like crest glowed faintly red.
"Welcome, Master Shinosuke and Miss Nanao," it said in a clear, polite tone. "Please follow me."
Shin frowned slightly. "They already know my name?"
Nanao folded her arms. "You're infamous. That's not surprising."
They followed the robot through an elegant corridor lined with crystalline panels that shimmered faintly with stored energy. The corridor opened into a vast golden hall filled with guests dining quietly under floating chandeliers.
The robot stopped near a long table — already occupied.
Shin froze mid-step.
Nanao blinked.
At that table sat almost everyone.
Lin Xuan, calm as ever, sipping his tea.
Anika, leaning close to him, whispering something in his ear.
Yan'er, graceful and serene beside them.
Dion, speaking quietly with Arjun.
Alicia and Vaibhav, sitting together — and trying to touch eachother's fingers, blushing.
Prabhat, calmly drinking tea — with a woman beside him laughing softly, brushing her hair back as she leaned closer.
Shin squinted.
Wait.
That woman—
"WHAT THE—" Shin pointed straight at her, voice echoing. "That's Hannah Park! The Hannah Park—world-class singer, actress, model, and soul-thief of every fanboy! What is she doing HERE?!"
Hannah laughed lightly and waved her fingers. "Having dinner, apparently."
Shin's voice cracked. "This was supposed to be my date, not a—family reunion slash celebrity gala!!"
Nanao covered her face with both hands. "Please stop yelling…"
The rest of the table burst into laughter.
Daichi was chewing something loudly, unfazed by the chaos.
Theo scolded him for talking with his mouth full.
Vivan chuckled quietly from the other end.
Lin Xuan didn't even glance up. "Sit down."
"Wait, hold on—" Shin tried, but Anika patted the empty seat beside her.
"Come, come~," she said sweetly. "Don't make a scene, we're eating."
Defeated, Shin sighed and sat beside Nanao, muttering, "So much for romance."
The dinner began.
And, as always, it became pure chaos within minutes.
Anika leaned against Lin Xuan, smiling brightly. "Brother Lin~ feed me~"
Lin Xuan ignored her completely.
Yan'er gently nudged Anika back with a small, patient smile. "Eat on your own."
Alicia teased Vaibhav about being too quiet, while he tried — and failed — not to blush.
Shin and Daichi were already arguing over dessert.
"Stop stealing my cake!"
"Then stop leaving it on the plate!"
Theo sighed. "You're children."
The laughter and noise mixed together, creating a kind of warmth the mansion rarely saw — loud, messy, alive.
Until Lin Xuan suddenly stopped moving.
He didn't speak.
Didn't frown.
Didn't change expression.
He simply raised one hand.
A faint ripple spread outward — invisible, silent, but absolute.
The laughter died instantly.
Every civilian in the hall was quietly enclosed within protective barriers. Silver film-like layers shimmered faintly around the tables, isolating them from the sudden change in air pressure.
Outside, the air trembled.
A deep hum resonated through the structure, like an engine buried beneath the sky. The lights flickered once.
Through the transparent ceiling, something vast began to descend.
A massive ship — black hull lined with glowing crimson veins — broke through the clouds above, its underbelly stretching wider than the entire restaurant platform. The air grew heavy with static, glass panels vibrating from the sheer force of its presence.
Then—impact.
The floating structure shook. Plates rattled. Some guests screamed.
Skyhaven's defense systems activated automatically, but Lin Xuan lifted his hand slightly — the alarms cut off instantly.
The ship's gates opened with a hiss.
Smoke poured out.
And through it, shapes began to emerge — humanoid, tall, their silhouettes backlit by the burning crimson glow.
When they stepped into view, everyone saw the horns.
Some bronze.
Some silver.
A few golden.
And one — in the center — crimson red, gleaming faintly like polished ruby.
Each figure carried an aura of raw, oppressive energy that distorted the air itself. Their eyes burned faintly, reflecting embers of something ancient and violent.
Shin's jaw tightened. "You've got to be kidding me…"
Nanao's expression hardened.
Anika leaned back slightly, calm.
Yan'er was calm but alert.
Alicia's gaze flicked to Vaibhav, who was already standing.
Lin Xuan's eyes narrowed a fraction.
"They're here," he said quietly.
Dion's expression darkened. "Asuras…"
The word carried weight.
The Asuras — horned beings who claimed direct descent from the Cristarions, the first architects of the Nexus Universe. They weren't human. They weren't beasts. They were something else entirely — born powerful, their bodies tuned for battle long before they learned language.
Among cultivators, the Asuras were never spoken of casually.
Their society was built on power so rigid it bordered on cast. Every Asura was born already awakened, their bodies forged at a level humans had to struggle years to reach. Growth, for them, was not a question of if—only how far.
Those at the lowest rung were said to stand at Ignis Ascension, a baseline state no Asura ever fell beneath. With training and survival came Venarae Resonance, followed by Ur'nthar Convergence, where warriors truly began to earn their place on the battlefield. Beyond that lay realms most humans only encountered as legends—Nethyra Soulforge, Satryn Transcendence, and finally Jovaryn Apotheosis, a tier reserved for figures whose existence alone could tilt wars.
But among Asuras, power was not judged by level alone.
It was written openly upon their bodies.
Horns marked status as clearly as crowns. The majority bore dull bronze—common blood, Sixty percent of the population. Twenty percent of the population carried silver, elevated but still bound. Ten percent of the population carried Golden horns signified nobility, beings raised to command rather than obey. Crimson horns were rarer— Six percent of the population—high nobles, rulers of regions, each one a walking calamity.
And above even them existed Four percent purple-horned royalty—so scarce that most would live and die without ever seeing one.
That was why the air in Skyhaven felt so heavy.
Not because of the bronze-horned soldiers standing in formation.
But because a crimson-horned Asura stood at their center—silent, unyielding.