Offered to the Triplet Alphas

Chapter-113. The holy rain [Asher]

"The crown prince is here!"

A celestial guard's voice rang across the Virgo army, silencing the murmurs as a masked figure strode forward.

The emblem of the Solvaris pack was engraved into his golden chest armor, adorned with the complete nine stars of the Swan constellation. The celestials were notoriously selective about who could bear the full constellation.

Undoubtedly, this was him - Caelum's son.

Usually, nature announced the arrival of the immortals by adjusting itself to accommodate our auras. So, even though the mouse prince chose stealth- suppressing his aura, minimizing his presence - he couldn't stop the shift in the elements of nature around him.

I had already registered how his presence softened the disturbance my aura had created in nature. His determination to conceal his identity was commendable, but in his attempt to do so, he had exposed his power potential.

Even for high-ranking celestials, hiding their presence so effortlessly wasn't easy because their souls constantly resonated at a higher vibration, often in harmony with nature.

Manipulating one's aura in a way that could even deceive nature was something even high-ranking celestials failed to master.

Growing up in the Infernal realm must have wired the mouse prince differently from the other celestials. Even though Cadence pulled him out of the Forced Activation before things worsened, he'd spent months within those walls - surviving, just like Ezra and the others.

Naturally, I expected the unexpected from him, but something that badgered me the most about him was, I sensed no danger from him. Either he wasn't a threat... or he was dangerous beyond the scope of my danger sense.

All heads turned to him in unison. The mortal soldiers bowed their heads, while the celestial guards dropped to one knee in a knight's bow, their armors clicking as they hit the ground.

His black hooded cloak billowed behind him as he strode towards the shadow barrier, revealing a physique that instantly reminded me of Ezra.

Though the hood concealed most of his golden and black masquerade mask, his glowing hazel eyes stood out as they peered at my shadows.

It seemed as if he was trying to see past my shadows to confirm Xanthea's presence.

"Do you see her?" Nikolai asked, standing beside him. "My sister?"

"I hear her," the mouse prince said in a resonating, morphed voice. "It's faint... but she's here."

I frowned, narrowing my eyes.

Hear her?

What does that mean?

I glanced at Xanthea, still resting silently in my embrace.

Even if she were screaming at the top of her voice, no one would hear her through my barrier. So what exactly was he hearing?

The mouse prince's eyes widened, glowing bright golden before they darkened into the shadows.

"This is bad," he said grimly.

"What's wrong?" Nikolai asked, his voice hinted with subtle panic as he skimmed his

eyes from the barrier to the mouse prince.

"He is here," he said, clenching his fists. "Alpha Asher is here with her."

I cocked a brow.

So he can hear me as well, and I am not even uttering a word.

"I've heard Alpha Ezra was the worst of the triplets," the guards discussed among themselves.

"Yeah. Alpha Raven has got a sharp tongue, but he isn't as unhinged as Alpha Ezra." "As for Alpha Asher... aside from attending meetings and handling political negotiations, he never does anything. So this shouldn't be bad, right?"

"So... why does the crown prince look so wary of him?"

"Like your guards said, Asher being here can't be as bad of news as Ezra, right?" Nikolai asked the mouse prince.

"Alpha Asher himself is bad news," the mouse prince said. "And the worst thing about him is that he does nothing. Which means I don't have enough information on him or what he's truly capable of."

We were both wary of each other, and I wouldn't be foolish enough to underestimate him just because he looked afraid right now.

"Whatever. He's just a demon," Nikolai scoffed as he continued in an obnoxious tone. "With you and all these celestials here, he's clearly outnumbered. He might be a lord in his own realm, but here?"

He chuckled, glaring at the barrier with a sneer.

don't stand a chance against celestials. You and your people can easily slay him and bring the great demon lord to his knees - to his fucking doom,"

I tilted my head.

was knocked right off their faces

zapped across the crowd and the celestial guards, Nikolai, and

themselves between the mouse

thundering as they stared at the barrier, bracing themselves for an attack. Some celestials shifted in

for his guards to lower their weapons. "But history proves... infernals have destroyed more celestials than the cold pages of any book could ever record." Then he turned his glare to

our lives is at stake. So, I suggest you shut your mouth and stay out of this. I don't want a war - and neither does Alpha Asher. Because if he did... do

at his words, but he gritted

and his guards took the frontline. He peered at the barrier and

"Begin!"

out of thin air, holding golden sun staffs in their hands. All of them were high rank, with over six stars

suns atop their staffs flared to life, radiating with a yellow

light. However, their actual goal wasn't to break through

transforming into divine wolves. Those with wings soared into the sky, their staffs clutched in

the staffs glowed brighter, illuminating the graveyard from both above and below. Their combined mana condensed to form a halo of faint rainbow clouds, sparkling over the

demons. They weakened demons with a shower of holy rain, and once they

CSS against me only proved he knew me far less than I

grumbled

holy rain mostly irritated Icifer, but one

he resisted, snarling in defiance as he

does to me,' Icifer took over my eyes, glaring

good for Xanthea,' I said. 'It

houseflies hovering

speaking, the holy rain will do torrential damage

grunted. 'I'm not leaving

'But-'

time, anyway. I've endured celestial banes far worse than this, and I'd suffer them a thousand times over

I wanted to suppress him. But arguing

too hard, he might not let Xanthea meet the celestials at

I shut my eyes.

to deal

But before that...

soft white dress transformed, shifting and reforming against her skin into a high-collared black coat and

in her clothes,

making a sweet metallic chime as they brushed against the onyx gemstones embedded into the intricate embroidery of black

to the coattails, edged with ornate metallic details. Her breath hitched when she realized that this was

her waist, encrusted with black jewels and chains, but before I could relish the way it hugged her figure, a

his hold to

raindrops scorched my skin like acid, sizzling on contact before they

the swelling on her ring finger where I had carved my name, how it restored the soft

radiance, but as soon as she took me in, the serenity in her eyes was replaced with terror and panic. Her eyes widened as she stared at my face,

holy rain.

"A-Asher?"

my face

for how unsightly

chest as she wrapped her arms around

up to her knees.

a few seconds. Icifer was just as confused as

actions. And when I finally realized, my heart twisted with the most unnatural

her body to

she trying

felt like the most beautiful pain heaven could bestow

her embrace, I never

t-this is...' Icifer

weren't used to being protected, but for once, it didn't

shut my eyes, leaning into

wildly in her chest, in the panicked grip of her fingers clutching my clothes, in her breaking breath as she desperately chanted my name, as

warmth of her tears merged with the rain as they bled on my skin.

Xanthea choked out a

I-is

but her experience and skills as well. No wonder she figured it out so

against her

her teeth, panting as she hugged me closer, trying to cover

raindrop.

means... celestials... are here?" she panted,