Chapter 82 | The Ceremony
Chapter 82: 82 | The Ceremony
After some time, both of them calmed down from the excitement but Dante was still holding her, looking at her face with a gentle expression.
Ba-thump!
’W-when is he going to let go?’ Natasha wanted to stay in his arms but she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to control herself if this went on any longer.
Dante could see her struggling and let go reluctantly.
’It’s not time yet.’ He decided to save the rest for another moment.
She coughed a few times and patted down her clothes before speaking. "Good. Now that you’re cured, there’s no reason to wait any longer."
Before Dante could ask what she meant, Natasha grabbed his hand and started walking with a smile.
"Where are you taking me, Master?"
"You’ll know when we get there."
***
A few moments later, both of them were standing on the terrace.
The sun was sinking below the horizon on one side while the moon was quietly rising on the other. The sky was painted in a mix of orange and deep blue, caught between day and night.
Dante had a puzzled look on his face as he glanced around, trying to figure out what was going on.
He could guess she was going to formally accept him as the successor but he didn’t understand why she brought him all the way out here.
Natasha could see his confusion and spoke with a serious expression. "Dante, it’s time for the succession ceremony. Are you ready?"
"Yes, Master. But why here?"
"In Eden’s Gate, the succession ceremony must be performed when both the sun and moon are visible in the sky at the same time." She explained, her eyes moving between the two celestial bodies.
"It represents the ideology the Eden’s Game is built on. The ceremony can only be done at this moment, when neither side has fully given way to the other."
’Duality and balance...’ Dante nodded, taking it in.
The novel barely touched on Eden’s Gate at all. All that was ever mentioned was that it was the oldest and strongest awakener organization in the past and that it declined after the Ruination.
Even the Ruination itself was never properly explained. Just that many great awakener organizations fell after it for reasons the author never bothered to go into.
Natasha took a deep breath and closed her eyes to collect her thoughts.
"Let’s start." The moment those words left her mouth, her expression turned serious. Dante put away his thoughts and focused.
"Kneel."
Dante lowered himself to one knee without hesitation.
The floor was cold beneath him and the wind pulled at his clothes as the last light of the sun painted everything in gold.
Natasha placed her right hand on his head and a faint glow appeared on her palm. It was warm and cold at the same time, two forces weaving around each other like they were alive.
"Dante Ackerman." She spoke in a clear tone. "Do you swear upon the sun and the moon to carry the will of Eden’s Gate? To protect what was built with the lives of those who came before you? To walk the path of balance until your last breath?"
Dante felt her words pressing down on his shoulders like a physical weight. But he wasn’t about to buckle under some pressure.
He had absolute resolve to change his fate and he would never let anyone else decide it for him.
"I swear."
Natasha closed her eyes. The glow on her palm intensified and Dante felt something flow into him from the top of his head.
It traveled down through his entire body and it carried the will of every leader who had stood where Natasha was standing now.
When she opened her eyes, they were glistening.
"Rise." She removed her hand from his head. "From this moment, you are no longer just my student."
Dante stood up slowly, his eyes sharp, as the wind around them died down.
"You are the successor of Eden’s Gate."
Natasha looked at him for a long moment. The leader’s mask cracked slightly and underneath it was the woman who loved him.
"Don’t make me regret this." She said softly.
Dante held her gaze and there was no scheme behind his eyes.
"I won’t, Master."
"That’s good to hear." A smile bloomed on her face after getting his reply.
She turned back and walked toward the door. "Now let’s go. I’ll give you one day to rest and the training starts tomorrow."
Dante stood there, looking at his clenched fist as the sun finally disappeared below the horizon and darkness settled over the sky.
"Dante, what are you standing there like a statue for?" Natasha looked back at him with confusion.
Dante snapped out of it and followed after her. "Ah, yes, Master."
"Did you hear what I said?"
"Uh, something about training?"
"Sigh. Let’s go back inside first. I’ll explain."
***
Two hours passed quickly.
A black car pulled into the mansion driveway and parked out front.
Emma stepped out with an angry face. "He didn’t pick up my calls even once. I’ll see for myself what he’s been doing."
She walked with brisk steps and entered the mansion.
The moment she stepped inside, she heard some questionable sounds coming from the direction of the couch.
"Ah~ Dante, why are you so good at this?"
"Should I go deeper, Master?"
"No, just focus on that spot. That’s where it gets me the most."
Emma stood there with a blank expression before her body started trembling. ’That’s... Dante and Master? Are they really...? On the couch...? Were my suspicions right all along?’
’Is THIS why he wasn’t answering any of my calls?’ She gritted her teeth and marched toward the couch.
From behind, she could see Dante moving up and down like he was pushing into something.
"WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING?!" She shouted, her eyes burning with fury.
Hearing the shout, Dante turned around to look at Emma with a confused face while Natasha sat up from the couch with sweat on her forehead.