Three Divine Wishes: Yes, I'm OP!

The rustle of leaves continued through the forest of Oryssal as Jovian’s words hung in the air, his massive smile still fixed in place beneath the white blindfold.

Around the moss-covered rock, the small circle of companions remained tense, the distant boom of power clashes far beyond the trees serving as a constant reminder that the world itself was still at war.

"Oh?" a familiar voice answered, low and unhurried, carrying easily through the quiet. "Well, tell us what you’ve discovered."

Jovian’s head turned at once, the white cloth across his eyes shifting as though he could see the speaker clearly. One brow arched high above the blindfold.

For a brief moment, disbelief flashed across his face—then the smile came back, broader than ever.

’I know this can’t be who I think it is...’ he mused, the Fatebreaker resting at his hip, its scabbard giving a faint sound as he shifted in his seat.

"Dude... didn’t you give me a full year?"

Behind him, the companions reacted as one.

HUMMMMM!!!!

Power rippled around them in sudden, overlapping waves.

Jack planted his feet wider, Melissa’s long white hair lifted on the current of her own energy, and Selia’s black hair swayed as her hands flexed.

Both her younger sister and their aunt slid into ready stances... with their eyes fixed on the source of the unexpected voice.

Akasha walked into view with casual ease, bare feet silently moving against the forest floor, baggy black clothing hanging loosely from his luminous brown frame.

Purple-and-white hair moved with the restless wind, and the purple infinity symbols in his eyes turned in slow, contemplative spirals as he came to a stop directly in front of Jovian and the assembled group.

"Indeed... I did give you a year," Akasha said with a small nod. "But... things have changed."

At that, Jovian’s smile only widened.

’What... or who could make this monster rush his plans?’ he wondered, the thought of more danger and chaos only thrilling him further.

"So, what’s got you in such a hurry?" he asked, his curiosity plain as he remained perched on the rock, one hand resting lazily near the hilt of Fatebreaker.

"Oh... it seems like you are planning to join my Pantheon, is that right?" Akasha shot back with a sarcastic edge, one brow arched in mock interest.

He knew perfectly well that Jovian wasn’t the kind of man to tie himself down to any faction, and with that in mind, there was no chance Akasha would reveal too much.

Jovian scoffed, the sound cutting through the air without hesitation.

"Dude, screw you."

The companions behind them stared.

Much like Amber and the Prince from before... Akasha’s form remained a bit blurry.

Even Melissa and Jack—who had met him once before—couldn’t match the figure before them with the memory they held.

"Jovian... uh, who’s that?" Selia murmured, her long black hair shifting as she cast a careful glance toward the blurry figure who had walked into their clearing.

Jovian looked at his companions and saw the same unspoken question written across every face.

Jack’s arms remained crossed, but the muscles along his jaw had tightened. Melissa’s long white hair stirred as her eyes narrowed, trying and failing to bring the newcomer into clear focus.

Selia’s younger sister shifted her weight from one foot to the other, and their aunt’s fingers flexed once near the hilt of a concealed blade.

He cleared his throat, the gesture subtle but intentional.

"Well... everyone, meet the Lord of Dreams."

Since they were all inhabitants of Kalpa, the title clearly carried a story.

For a while, silence hung in the air.

Melissa’s eyes widened in pure, unguarded shock; the memory of a different face and a different presence collided with the blurry silhouette standing before them, and her lips parted without sound.

"The Lord of Dreams?" Selia’s younger sister whispered, voice barely louder than the rustle of leaves.

"The same one who—"

"Who wiped out Nova Dragons," their aunt concluded, her voice low and cautious, as if saying it too loudly might catch the figure’s notice.

"All on his own."

Jack’s voice followed, rough with disbelief.

"Including... the Academy of Revelations. And a few invasions on the Academy of Veils."

Melissa finally spoke, her voice softer than usual.

"We... we’ve seen him before. But he didn’t look like this..."

Her long white hair swayed as she instinctively took a small step back.

Their power still crackled faintly around them, yet none stepped forward. The clearing seemed to hold its breath in tense anticipation.

Akasha rolled his eyes, the purple infinity symbols spinning once in mild exasperation before he turned fully back to Jovian.

"Just what’s so chaotic about this world? Other than the fact that it’s close to death."

Jovian’s fingers drummed once against the moss-covered rock, the soft taps steady and unconcerned.

"For the past month or two, I’ve been looking into the state of this world," he began, continuing to explain everything he had gathered to Akasha.

Through fate, he discovered that aside from the invading pantheons essentially abandoning this world to complete its final cycle of death, the world had managed to find a way to fight back after being freed.

But the most fascinating thing Akasha learned from Jovian was that the Von’El Titans were here—and they were aiding the Rebellion.

’Hmm... those Titans might come in handy,’ Akasha mused, nodding slowly to himself.

It was clear that after leaving Amber, he hadn’t gone back to Dream Land—mainly because wherever he was headed next, he didn’t plan on leaving anytime soon.

Before his departure, though, he had been getting ready to watch Krax and Melvin’s fight, and now, knowing the Titan clan was present, a new idea was forming in his mind.

’Maybe I’ll tweak a few plans...’ he thought with a faint smirk.

"Alright... I just came to let you know," he said, his voice carrying outward again. "I no longer need you to travel the worlds of the Star System. Our deal is done."

Jovian’s laugh burst out, bright and genuine, slicing through the lingering tension that held his companions.

"Well... I didn’t think it would happen this soon." He gave a single nod, still smiling, one hand resting casually near the golden-and-black hilt of Fatebreaker.

"But that’s fine by me... as long as you’re not planning to kill me after you’ve used me."

Akasha chuckled, the sound low and unhurried.

He lifted one hand in a casual wave, and in the blink of an eye, a single white apple—freshly plucked from the Golden Apple Tree of Dream Land.

With an easy motion, he held it out toward the space between them, letting the moment linger in the air.

"Think of it as a gift. It will let you step into the Cosmic Union rank."

Before Jovian could even ask any questions... Akasha was already beginning to fade.

"You know... you shouldn’t leave the Orin Star System yet." He said, leaving a few final words.

"If you want a much more interesting adventure... visit my mountain."