The sun hung low over the estate, casting elongated shadows across the courtyard where Luciferus and Serenity played. The twins, now fully walking and speaking with surprising confidence for their age, were deep in conversation.
"I think I can make my sword glow brighter if I try this way," Luciferus said, pointing at his hands. His crimson eyes flickered as if trying to test some inner resonance.
Serenity, matching her brother's intensity, tilted her head. "Hmm… maybe if I try focusing on the energy in my heart, it'll respond differently. It's… warm, like the life inside me."
They laughed, small yet confident, unaware of the storm gathering near their home.
A faint ripple in the air caught Lysera's attention. Her senses flared instantly, alert but calm. A portal had opened near the estate. She rose slowly, her presence emanating authority as she teleported to the courtyard where her children were.
Before she even fully landed, a shadow moved across the horizon—a dragon, massive, scales glinting in a hue unnatural for Earth. It barreled toward the estate, wings cutting through the air.
The creature smashed through the outer wall, debris flying everywhere, and locked eyes on the twins. A roar split the sky. But as the dragon moved closer, its movements faltered. Its claws, raised to strike, slowed. Its instincts screamed discomfort.
Luciferus, without hesitation, grabbed Serenity's hand and hugged her tightly. Their crimson eyes shone as a wave of black light erupted around them, forming a protective barrier.
The dragon's downward blow collided with the black light. Its claws began to erode, melting as if reality itself rejected the attack.
Lysera hovered above the twins, calm and assured. A gentle smile touched her lips. She raised her hand, fingertips glowing with divine energy, and touched the dragon's forehead.
With a quiet pop, the dragon dissipated into nothingness, leaving no trace of its fury.
Cut to Ashura in the dimensional rifts, surrounded by endless monsters that writhed in chaotic patterns across the void. He paused mid-swing, eyes narrowing and a faint smile curving his lips.
He understood immediately. The surge of black light, the barrier that protected his children—it wasn't random. His bloodline, his legacy, had already begun awakening within Luciferus and Serenity.
Satisfied, Ashura continued his rampage, swinging Kuroha through the endless waves of monsters, each strike precise and overwhelming. Black light flared with every motion, erasing conceptual beasts and high-dimensional horrors alike.
Back on Earth 10, the courtyard was quiet again. Dust swirled, settling onto the remnants of the shattered wall. Luciferus turned to Serenity, a wide grin forming on his youthful face.
"Hey… sis," he said, eyes still faintly glowing crimson. "I think I have a system… it's called Neo Ascendant."
Serenity tilted her head, eyes wide with excitement. "I think I got one too! It's… the System of Equivalent Exchange."
Both of them paused, eyes meeting. Their young faces shone with recognition.
"It's calling me… an Ascendant," Luciferus whispered.
Serenity's eyes gleamed, half crimson, half blue. "I see… Reaper on mine."
The siblings smiled at each other, standing strong and unafraid, as if the entire world—portals, monsters, or dimensional chaos—would have to reckon with their presence.
Above them, Lysera watched, pride and relief in her eyes. Somewhere in the infinite distance, Ashura's aura resonated, a silent acknowledgment: his children were awakening.
And the age of the Ascendants had quietly begun.