The blue light around Quill rippled slightly, and his energy body seemed to grow a little more solid as he tried to project an air of majesty.
He tried to control his voice, lending it some of the deep resonance befitting a "god." "Hermione, I think..."
"Are you deliberately making your voice deeper?"
Before he could finish, Hermione suddenly asked him that question.
"No, not at all." Quill puffed out his chest and gave a light cough.
"That wasn't what you sounded like before."
"No, I've always sounded like this."
Hermione calmly raised her wand.
A faint, eerie green light quietly appeared at its tip.
"..." Quill's voice cut off abruptly.
Ego had been killed without a sound by that very green light. Although Quill had inherited Ego's power and even gained control of this planet, he was still nowhere near Ego's level.
If even Ego couldn't stop it, how could he?
That tiny notion of finally turning the tables and taking charge vanished without a trace.
Whoosh!
The blue light dispersed, and Quill returned to human form. He immediately slid to his knees before Hermione, his face plastered with a fawning smile. "What are your orders, Boss? I'll carry them out even if it kills me!"
The speed of that change in attitude was an art form.
The corners of Hermione's lips curved almost imperceptibly. She tipped her chin toward Mantis, who lay unconscious nearby. "Bring her. Back to the ship."
"You got it! Just a moment, Boss!" As though granted a pardon, Quill scurried over and carefully picked up Mantis.
Hermione turned, space warped, and she disappeared.
Holding Mantis, Quill followed close behind. He used his newfound power to protect her as he flew into space, not daring to waste a moment.
The Dark Aster's bridge.
When