(3rd Person POV)
As Charon departed the planet's atmosphere, Firfel gazed through the viewing screen with lingering melancholy. Arthur placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "We'll return. I promise."
"I know..." Firfel nodded, though sadness colored her voice. "But I'll miss this world. It felt so natural—like it was made for elves to call home."
"I understand." Arthur smiled gently as they entered the main cabin where Thanokai remained bound and contained within energy restraints.
The sleeping Hexathyr jolted awake at their return, his honeycomb eyes widening with unmistakable surprise.
"You seem shocked to see us," Arthur observed coldly. "Care to explain why?"
"It's nothing—" Thanokai began, but his bindings suddenly constricted painfully around his body.
"Don't lie to me." Arthur's hand clenched into a fist, tightening the magical restraints further.
Firfel flinched at the display of casual cruelty but remained silent.
"Alright! I'll talk!" Thanokai gasped out desperately.
"Speak. Now."
Thanokai swallowed hard, clearly dreading Arthur's reaction. "I'm just... surprised you both returned unharmed."
Arthur's eyes narrowed dangerously. "What do you mean by that?"
"The planet—while technologically primitive—possesses a living consciousness," Thanokai explained reluctantly. "Its power rivals that of a Supreme Deity, though it hasn't fully ascended to that level. I assumed..." He trailed off, unable to finish.
Arthur materialized directly in front of Thanokai and pressed his boot against the deity's chest, pinning him to the floor. "You were plotting against me from the beginning."
"I'm sorry! Please!"
"You deliberately withheld critical information, hoping that planet would eliminate me for you." Arthur's voice carried lethal intent as he increased the pressure. "That's grounds for execution."
"Stop!" Firfel's voice cut through Arthur's anger like a blade.
Arthur turned to her, his expression still cold.
"He confessed the truth," Firfel said firmly, though tears threatened at the corners of her eyes. "We returned safely. We even befriended the tribe and their Great Mother. There's no need for this violence."
Arthur's jaw clenched as he struggled between rage and reason. Finally, he released Thanokai and stepped back. "This is a severe offense, Thanokai. But I'll show mercy this time—for her sake, not yours."
"You are incredibly merciful, my lord!" Thanokai gasped with obvious relief.
"However," Arthur's tone remained hard, "you will now work for me permanently. You'll have no secrets from me, no independent authority. Understood?"
"You... you want complete control over my life?" Thanokai trembled visibly.
Arthur smiled without warmth. 'This alien deity is utterly craven. He'll do anything to preserve his own existence.'
As expected, Thanokai capitulated immediately. "Alright. We can establish a Divine Contract."
Arthur's interest piqued. 'Divine Contract? That's a new one.'
"I have a Divine Contract scroll in one of my spatial rings," Thanokai offered. "We can formalize our agreement properly."
Arthur's grin turned predatory. "Excellent. Let's proceed."
The process proved straightforward. The scroll contained ancient binding magic that linked deities through unbreakable oaths. Arthur dictated the terms—complete loyalty, full transparency, and permanent service—while Thanokai had no choice but to accept each condition.
Once the contract activated, golden chains of divine energy briefly manifested around both of them before fading into their essence. The binding was absolute.
"Charon, set course for home," Arthur commanded, satisfied with his new subordinate.
[Acknowledged. Initiating return journey to Horn Kingdom.]
Firfel remained quiet during the return flight, occasionally glancing at Arthur with conflicted emotions. She'd stopped him from killing Thanokai, but she wondered if she'd created a different kind of problem by encouraging Arthur to bind another being to his will instead.
Arthur noticed her subdued mood as they settled into the ship's private quarters. He approached carefully. "What's troubling you? Does my behavior back there bother you that much?"
Firfel shook her head. "It's not just that." She took a steadying breath. "The more powerful you become, the more absorbed you get in that power... I feel the distance growing between us."
She looked up at him, vulnerability clear in her eyes. "You already know everything about me before I can say it. You read my thoughts, sense my emotions. I know you're a deity now, and our journey through space has been incredible, but in this relationship—with you being all-knowing—how can I possibly keep up?"
Arthur felt genuinely stunned. He'd been reading Firfel's emotions and surface thoughts since gaining divine power, confident he understood her needs. But he'd completely missed this deeper concern.
Perhaps it was the "simple" things he'd been overlooking. Perhaps those simple things were what they both truly needed.
"I fell in love with the man I met at that first audition," Firfel continued quietly. "The passionate director full of life and flaws and genuine enthusiasm. The man who wasn't obsessed with control and power. The one who just wanted to shock the world with his creativity." Her voice wavered. "Sometimes I wonder... am I still worthy of who you've become? Am I enough for you anymore?"
She met his gaze directly. "Should we... end this?"
Arthur moved to sit beside her immediately. "You're more than worthy. You're more than enough."
Tears began streaming down her cheeks.
He pulled her into his arms. "Without you, my life would be empty of color and meaning. If not for you today, I would never have convinced the Na'vi to participate." His voice softened with genuine emotion. "I may be a deity, but I'd give up that power in a heartbeat if losing it meant keeping you by my side."
"Arthur..." Firfel buried her face against his chest, her body shaking with released emotion.
They held each other in silence, the vast emptiness of space visible through the viewport—a reminder of how small and precious their connection was amid the cosmic vastness.
'I need to marry this woman,' Arthur thought, resting his head against hers. 'She's the only one who reminds me who I truly am beneath all the power and ambition.'
He'd been so focused on conquering industries, gaining strength, and expanding his influence that he'd nearly forgotten the simple joy of being Arthur Pendragon—the filmmaker who just wanted to create something meaningful.
Firfel had just reminded him of that. And he'd never let himself forget again.
---
After three days of interstellar travel, they finally returned to their home world. Charon phased through Altair Station's protective barrier without triggering any alarms—the ship's advanced technology rendered it completely invisible to the angels' detection systems.
They descended toward Horn Kingdom, Charon remaining suspended in the atmosphere while Arthur teleported himself and Firfel directly to Hellfire HQ. The ship then retreated into Arthur's personal dimensional space along with Thanokai and his subordinate crew.
Firfel stretched with visible relief. "It feels so good to be home! Even with the impure mana, this world is what I'm used to."
"Same here." Arthur smiled, making a conscious effort to simply enjoy the moment rather than overthinking everything. He wanted to be present with her—just Arthur, not the calculating deity.
"I'm going to check on Vivienne and Shafel!" Firfel gave him a quick peck on the cheek before rushing down the hallway with obvious excitement.
Arthur shook his head fondly and headed to his office. Inside, his clone looked absolutely exhausted.
The moment the clone spotted him, relief flooded its features. "You're finally back!"
"You look terrible," Arthur observed.
"Who wouldn't be?" the clone complained bitterly. "I've been managing the John Wick release schedule, overseeing Hellfire Airlines expansion, and dealing with your uncle—I mean father—and that scheming woman you call mother!"
The clone proceeded to summarize everything it had handled during Arthur's absence. Since improving the clone technique, Arthur's clones had become significantly more capable and obedient—though apparently no less prone to stress.
"And then," the clone continued with obvious frustration, "King Luke actually visited Horn Kingdom with Queen Lily. That woman tried to use some artifact to gain complete control over me, thinking I was the real you. The binding nearly worked before I dispersed into smoke." It gestured irritably. "Fortunately, the backup clone activated immediately and took over, so she didn't realize what happened. But I'm telling you—she's plotting something major."
Arthur listened calmly, his expression wry. "I'll handle them when the time comes. You did well managing everything."
The clone looked satisfied with the acknowledgment before dispersing completely, its consciousness returning to Arthur's core.
Arthur settled into his chair, his thoughts drifting. "I wonder how Naruto's doing."
After revealing that his entire existence was fictional in this world, Arthur had sent the young shinobi to train and adapt. More specifically, he'd instructed a clone to have Naruto trained in combat techniques suited to this world's power system.
The ultimate goal was having Naruto—along with the Nine-Tails' power—battle against Godzilla in the Draconic Realm. It would serve as both training and entertainment, though Arthur had assigned Keanu and several clones to supervise and ensure the boy's safety.
'That battle should be interesting,' Arthur thought with anticipation. 'A kaiju versus a jinchuriki. The footage alone will be incredible.'
But for now, he had more immediate concerns—like reviewing the John Wick final cut and preparing for the Avatar production that would change everything.