The team continued to talk amongst themselves as food and drinks passed freely between them. The atmosphere was lighthearted, filled with laughter, the clinking of glasses, and the occasional playful argument. Then, quite suddenly, Dale's eyes brightened as though a long-forgotten memory had just struck him with divine force.

"Wait," Dale exclaimed, setting his cup down, his grin widening in realization. "I just remembered something important!"

Reynold, who was halfway through devouring the most delicious meal he had ever tasted in his entire existence, didn't even bother to look up. "What did you remember?" he asked, his mouth full, his focus still on the tender meat before him.

"Did you all forget," Dale said, leaning forward with a grin that stretched from ear to ear, "that Anthony and Kingsley were supposed to spar?" His smile was so wide it showed all his teeth, his tone full of triumph as though he had just uncovered a great secret.

At his words, everyone froze. Forks and cups halted midair, conversations died instantly, and silence spread like a wave. The realization dawned on them collectively, their long-discussed spar between two planetary-level beings, Anthony and Kingsley, had never actually happened.

Although none of them said it aloud, it was clear what they all believed: Anthony would not lose. Despite knowing Kingsley for a much longer time, and having seen him perform incredible feats, they all felt instinctively that such power still paled in comparison to that of their captain, Anthony. His very presence carried a weight that made defeat seem impossible.

At the mention of his name, Kingsley's golden eyes shifted toward Anthony, who remained unbothered, his expression calm and detached. He didn't even look up from his drink. To him, there was no need for words. He had no real desire to spar with Kingsley; he would only do so if Kingsley himself insisted. Otherwise, it was irrelevant.

Feeling Kingsley's intense gaze upon him, Anthony finally turned. His sky-blue eyes met Kingsley's golden ones, and for a brief moment, the entire room seemed to fall silent again. Then, with an easy smile tugging at the corner of his lips, he spoke.

"You want to spar?" he asked simply, his tone light, calm, yet carrying an undercurrent of quiet authority.

Kingsley remained silent for a few seconds, his face unreadable. Although confident in his own strength, he didn't know the exact difference between himself and Anthony. This spar could help him see that gap clearly, and perhaps, even bridge it someday. Besides, with his new abilities, he believed he had grown significantly stronger. Surely, the gap couldn't be that large… right?

"Yes," Kingsley finally said, his voice steady. "I have to test my recent progress. Since reaching the planetary level, I haven't had anyone strong enough to challenge me. The enemies we've faced lately aren't even close to our standard." His expression was stoic, yet his tone carried subtle anticipation.

"It's decided then," Seraphim interjected suddenly, her eyes gleaming with interest. "Let's set the date. Tomorrow or the day after should be perfect." Her tone made it obvious she was looking forward to the clash.

But before anyone could agree, Anthony leaned back slightly and said with disarming ease, "Why postpone it or wait for another day? We're all free right now… aren't we?" His words caught everyone off guard, slicing through the air like a sudden gust of wind. His sky-blue eyes turned once more toward Kingsley. "What do you think?" he asked.

"No problem," Kingsley replied immediately, rising from his seat in one fluid motion. He had nothing else to do, and truly, there was no reason to delay.

"Wa–wait, wait, hold up!" Dale exclaimed, standing abruptly as he watched Anthony, Vega, Klaus, Spectre, and Clement all rise from their seats. "What's happening here?"

Anthony turned toward him, his expression still calm. "What is it, Dale?" he asked, his tone patient.

"Ehh… We aren't planetary beings yet," Dale said nervously, gesturing toward himself, Reynold, and Seraphim. "I mean, I don't know how Clement and Spectre plan to watch the fight, but I don't doubt they can. Still… what about us? We can't survive out there if you plan to fight in space."

Anthony paused, considering Dale's concern for a moment. Then he gave a small nod. "Don't worry," he said quietly. "I'll take care of that."

The trio exchanged puzzled glances. They had no idea what Anthony meant, but it was Anthony, so they didn't question him further. Perhaps he had some kind of artifact or magical device that would make it possible. After all, with Anthony, the impossible tended to be normal.

Without another word, Anthony raised his right hand. Space itself shimmered as a massive portal tore open beside them, swirling with cosmic energy that hummed like a living thing. Beyond it lay a vast stretch of starlit void, the outer galaxy. Without hesitation, Klaus and Vega stepped through first, their figures vanishing into the luminous gate.

Dale, Seraphim, and Reynold exchanged uncertain glances, while Clement and Spectre appeared completely unfazed. They stood motionless for a moment, their eyes distant, as though listening to something unheard, and then silently stepped into the portal as well.

Anthony snapped his fingers once. Instantly, an aura of pitch-black energy surrounded Dale, Reynold, and Seraphim, enveloping them completely. The energy felt both cold and infinite, like the void between stars.

"This is void energy," Anthony said evenly. "It will protect you in space." He didn't elaborate, nor did he intend to. His voice carried quiet confidence, enough for them to trust without question.

Dale, Seraphim, and Reynold simply nodded. They already knew Anthony possessed the void affinity. With that reassurance, they stepped through the swirling portal without hesitation, their forms dissolving into the endless dark.

Anthony was the last to step through. The portal sealed shut behind him, leaving the room silent and empty, their presence fading like the echo of a dream.

Moments later, Anthony appeared amidst the cold vastness of the galaxy. Stars burned in every direction, their light painting the dark canvas of space. Planets rotated slowly in the distance, while swirling nebulas added color to the cosmic expanse. It was breathtaking, a place where silence reigned supreme, and only the hum of existence could be felt.

Beside him, the rest of the team stood quietly, gazing around in awe.

Anthony lifted his hand slightly, accessing his system with a single thought. A faint blue interface flickered before him, invisible to the others. Within seconds, three sleek sunshade glasses materialized in his palm. He turned toward Dale, Seraphim, and Reynold, tossing each of them one.

"These glasses will temporarily elevate your perception to Kingsley's level," he explained calmly. "They're single-use artifacts. Once you wear them, they activate automatically. Remove them, and they'll crumble to dust."

Silence followed once more. Dale, Seraphim, and Reynold stared down at the glasses in stunned disbelief. They had seen Anthony create many things before, but this… this was different. These artifacts weren't just powerful, they were unheard of.

Seraphim was the first to break the silence. "So… if we never take them off," she asked slowly, "does that mean our perception of reality will stay permanently enhanced?"

"Yes," Anthony answered without hesitation. His tone was matter-of-fact, as though such a feat was trivial.

Reynold raised an eyebrow, suspicion lacing his voice. "And what about side effects? Something this powerful can't possibly come without consequences."

"There are none," Anthony replied simply, his expression unchanging.

The trio exchanged glances, their astonishment giving way to silent greed. None of them said it aloud, but all three had already decided, they would never remove the glasses.

Kingsley floated in the silent void nearby, observing the interaction with mild curiosity. He couldn't help but wonder why Anthony had chosen to synchronize the glasses with his perception specifically, or how such an artifact was even possible. But eventually, he decided not to overthink it.

He didn't understand magic anyway. He possessed no mana, no energy, no arcane essence of any kind. So why bother trying to grasp something that defied his comprehension?

In the end, he simply sighed, focusing on what lay ahead: the long-awaited clash between him and Anthony, a battle between two planetary beings under the endless light of the stars.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.