Rebirth of the Interstellar Pope <Mecha>

Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Anno landed first, followed closely by Rufeite. As they descended, both felt the weight of two powerful consciousnesses enveloping them. Despite Rufeite's strength, the simultaneous intrusion left him a bit unsteady as he jumped down.

With a blank expression, Anno steadied Rufeite, who flashed a nonchalant smile and remarked in the darkness, "So, you have a brother?"

In their past interactions, there had always been an unspoken tension, a sense of guessing between them. Though they both knew the truth, an invisible barrier had separated their understanding. If that barrier remained intact, Anno would assume Rufeite was oblivious, while Rufeite would think the same of Anno.

No one had mentioned Anno, leading others to believe he was truly dead. But now, that barrier had been pierced, and the one who had done so was Anno's brother. Rufeite felt a flicker of unease at this revelation.

With the barrier broken, Anno felt no need to hide the truth. However, his reaction remained subdued. He retrieved an energy flashlight from his space suit, illuminating the prison door emblazoned with a hexagram. "He switched sides during the Great Rebellion, shortly before I became the Pope," he explained.

Rufeite raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "And you destroyed all records of him? But human memory can't be erased. How did you manage that?"

Anno reached out, brushing his fingers against the "An" etched in the corner of the door. "He and I are twins. We rarely appeared together. The only ones who knew of An Shuo were those within the religion. Many others in the galaxy believe An Shuo is simply another name for Anno, or a misnomer. Once I became Pope, erasing any trace of a religious figure's existence wasn't difficult."

Rufeite recalled Anno's earlier calmness when he had mentioned "murder," a realization dawning on him. "You're quite skilled at this," he said slowly. "Stronger than I am."

At that moment, the gates of Guangdila Prison swung open, casting a dim yellow light into the dark space.

Turning to Rufeite, Anno smiled. "No, times have changed. If you had lived in my era, I wouldn't have been the Pope."

The simplicity of Anno's statement struck Rufeite deeply. Having admired Anno for years, hearing those words of encouragement lifted his spirits, making him feel as if he could soar. He attempted to maintain his composure, raising an eyebrow in response. "Is that so?"

Once more, Anno smiled faintly. With a surge of his consciousness, he pushed the heavy metal door open as if it were nothing more than a curtain. A flood of pale yellow light enveloped Anno and Rufeite, illuminating the path ahead.

Anno regarded Rufeite with a solemn look in his eyes, as if they were standing before the hexagram, chanting an ancient divine hymn. "Remember what you promised me."

Rufeite curled his lips into an impish smile. "Of course."

They stepped into the prison one after the other, revealing the Guangdila Prison that had slumbered for thousands of years. It was much like the vision Rufeite had seen in his mind-relatively small but soaring in height. Countless light energy lamps flickered to life in the unseen reaches above, illuminating the entire structure.

The prison consisted of two stories, with a long corridor lined with tiny cells, each encased in thin metal bars. Silence enveloped them; no voice echoed, and no other consciousness stirred in the air. Rufeite sensed that it was just the two of them, alone in this ancient place.

As Anno walked ahead, Rufeite followed closely. He noted that Anno wore a black school uniform, appearing like a sixteen-year-old boy. Yet, he walked with an air of authority that exuded an aura of-something forbidden. Rufeite slapped his forehead in frustration. Even now, at such a critical moment, his thoughts wandered!