Super God Academy: Kabuto

The teleportation light completely dissipated, and the lingering scent of ice and gunpowder in Frieza seemed to still cling to the air, but the scene before him was entirely different. A magnificent, breathtakingly grand, silver-white hall, an impossibly high starry dome, and countless angelic warriors standing solemnly on both sides, their silver armor reflecting a cold gleam. An almost solidified solemnity and divine pressure permeated the air.

However, none of these things could capture everyone's attention and breath as much as the figure on the floating light throne at the end of the royal court.

Angel Yan's pupils contracted sharply the instant they adjusted to the light, her heart felt as if it had been gripped tightly by an invisible hand, then suddenly released, bringing a dizzying shock. She saw it—silver hair cascading down like a waterfall of stars, her face still peerless, but those usually calm and undisturbed silver eyes were now gazing down at her with a deep look that was both familiar and strange to her, silently watching...her.

Queen Keisha.

Queen Keisha, who was said to have been destroyed by the Emerald Star, whose sacred atoms spread throughout the universe, and who bore her countless sorrows, responsibilities, and longings, now sits on the supreme throne belonging to the King of Angels, her posture unchanged from ten thousand years ago. In fact, her majesty as the ruler of the gods is even more profound than in my memory, as if she has been tempered by time.

"...Queen Keisha?" Yan's voice was so soft that only she could hear it, trembling with disbelief. She turned her head sharply to look at Zhixin beside her, her eyes filled with urgent confirmation and confusion.

Zhi Xin met her gaze, his clear eyes showing no surprise, only his usual calm and respect. She nodded slightly, then turned to the throne, placed her right hand on her chest, and bowed in a clear and firm voice: "Your Majesty."

This single action, this single address, was like a final confirmation, shattering the last vestige of "illusion" in Yan's heart.

"Zhixin, you... knew all along?" Yan's voice was even lower, carrying a hint of surprise and complexity from being kept in the dark. She quickly glanced around: Ge Xiaolun, Liu Chuang, and the others wore similar shock and bewilderment; Kadoya Tsukasa crossed his arms, watching with amusement; Qi Lin leaned against Wei Lan, her face still somewhat pale, but her eyes remained calm. Only the red Otherworldly being Momotaros, who was curiously touching and looking around in the corner of the hall, seemed completely out of place with the solemn atmosphere around her, and appeared utterly unsurprised.

Momotaros seemed to notice the sudden focus of attention, scratching his prominent horns, somewhat bewildered: "Why are you all staring at me? This place is pretty shiny!"

His muttering broke the almost stagnant silence of the hall. Keisha's gaze also briefly swept over Momotaros, a very faint, almost imperceptible fluctuation flashing in her eyes, before returning to Yan.

Just then, Keisha slowly stood up from her throne. This simple action changed the atmosphere of the entire royal court; all the whispers and commotion instantly subsided, and even Momotaros subconsciously stopped moving.

"Yan." Keisha's voice rang out, not loud, but with a peculiar penetrating power, clearly reaching everyone's ears and instantly calming the turbulent waves in Yan's heart. "You've worked hard."

She descended the floating steps of the throne, her silver royal robes flowing gently with each step, like flowing moonlight. She stopped before Yan, her gaze calmly fixed on her chosen successor.

"I entrust the future of the Angelic Civilization to you," Keisha continued, her tone carrying a weighty approval that had been tempered by time. "I am at ease. You have done a great job these days."

Facing Keisha's gaze and hearing her direct and affirmative assessment, Yan's initial shock, confusion, and even slight helplessness from the sudden reunion quickly transformed into a more turbulent mix of emotions—endless grievances, relief, and the feeling of a heavy burden lifted. She had many questions and doubts weighing on her mind.

"Queen..." Yan finally found her voice, which was much more stable than before, but still carried emotional turmoil. "Back then... what exactly happened? All of us... I saw you with my own eyes..." Every detail of the "fall" of Emerald Star is still a scene that recurs in her dreams.

Keisha raised her hand slightly, signaling her not to get excited. Her gaze seemed to travel through time and space, back to that night when she had a secret talk with Lin Yu and He Xi, back to that Emerald Star that served as the "stage".

"That was a 'retreat' that I, Lin Yu, and He Xi discussed together." Keisha's voice was calm as she narrated, yet it revealed a secret hidden for millennia. "Lin Yu brought a warning about the 'Void,' those beings from beyond the world whose threat far exceeded anything we understood at the time. Sometimes, the throne in the open is not as clear as the eyes in the shadows. We needed a complete 'fake death,' not only to lull potential enemies like Karl into a false sense of security, but also to allow me to temporarily break free from the constraints of the 'Just Order,' so that I could prepare for the real crisis in a more detached and covert way."

She looked at Yan, a hint of apology flashing in her eyes, but more so a resolute calm after making a decision: "I'm sorry you had to endure that scene on Emerald Star, Yan. And I'm sorry to all the angels who grieved for it."

The truth was so simple, yet so astonishing. Yan felt a tightness in her throat. So, all that grief, all that burden, all that hardship in rebuilding faith from the ruins… was it all part of the plan?

"Then Morgana... and Karl?" Yan immediately realized the key point, "If they knew you weren't dead..." Especially Karl, the Grim Reaper who planned the "Godslaying" plan.

"Liang Bing (Morgana) is unaware." Keisha shook her head slightly, her tone carrying a subtle complexity when she mentioned her sister. "Her reaction, her choice, is part of her own path. As for Karl..." A cold, sharp glint flashed in Keisha's silver eyes. "He may have some suspicions, but his true goal has never been my 'death,' but rather to complete his so-called 'Void Age' experiment. Revealing my survival would not benefit him in achieving his goals; on the contrary, it might lead to uncontrollable variables. Therefore, he chose silence, and even enjoyed using the chaos caused by my 'fall.'"

The logic was impeccable, the calculations profound. Yan smiled bitterly to herself. This was indeed Queen Keisha's style, and also the kind of move Lin Yu might make. However, it kept the entire known universe in the dark, including her, the new queen…

"I understand, Your Majesty." Yan finally lowered her head, suppressing all her surging emotions, and responded again as a warrior and a student.

Keisha seemed to see through her complex emotions and offered no further explanation; some things require time to process and understand. She then instructed in an unquestionable tone, "Yan, take our guests to rest. They've endured a fierce battle and need to recover. Afterwards, you and Zhixin will come to see me alone."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Yan and Zhixin bowed simultaneously to accept the order.

Keisha nodded slightly, said nothing more, and turned to walk slowly back to the floating throne of light. Her back was still as upright as a pine tree, but for some reason, after learning the truth about that "fake death," Yan seemed to see a trace of loneliness and heaviness hidden deep within that eternal majesty, belonging to the planner.

The atmosphere in the royal court became solemn once again with Keisha's return to the throne. Yan took a deep breath, suppressing the myriad thoughts in her mind, and turned to Ge Xiaolun, Kadoya Tsukasa, and the others, her face once again displaying the composure and dignity befitting the new Angel King:

"Please follow me, everyone. The Heavenly Court of Merlo has prepared a place for you to rest."

A storm has temporarily subsided, but an even greater one is brewing at the edge of the cosmos. At the core of the Angelic civilization, after a silent thunderclap and the baptism of truth, a true succession of power and mission was completed in the calm gaze between the old and new queens. The road ahead will undoubtedly be more arduous, but this succession will also凝聚 (unify/unite) unprecedented power.