MIGHT AS WELL BE OP Chapter 989: Familiar Love

Before Lucian and Anthony had a chance to utter another word, shadowy figures streaked through the sky with deafening sonic blasts exploding near the pair and the passed-out Aaaninja. In the blink of an eye, Vespera and Riven appeared right by Lucian's side, enveloping him in an instant hug that drew him into their fierce grip without a second's delay.

Their arms clamped down on him with a strength capable of crumbling worlds, yet Lucian's tough frame handled it effortlessly, no pain at all; he just grinned and encircled his parents with his own arms, sinking into the flood of family warmth and protection that he'd almost forfeited for good.

Riven Darkheart's gaze burned red with strain, clearly fighting with all his might to keep the tears from spilling, while Vespera Darkheart had already let hers stream unchecked along her face. Lucian stayed quiet, merely offering soft pats on his mother's back, since no one could fully grasp the torment parents endure seeing their kid perish right in front of them, helpless to step in no matter what.

Throughout their entire existence, Riven and Vespera Darkheart had never experienced such utter helplessness. The second the backlash hit and Lucian began hacking up blood while fading away in plain view, they'd lunged forward desperately, but an immense power unlike any they'd known pinned everyone in place. Klaus and Amara, for all their immense might, found themselves frozen too, restrained by some superior force beyond their grasp.

"I’m sor... sorry, Lucian, I should... I should have come... I should have been there for you... I should have been..." Vespera Darkheart sobbed through her words, her tone shaky and hushed, all traces of her status as a Planetary-level powerhouse at the Apexus Mana Rank fading away, leaving just a heartbroken mom who'd come so close to losing her sole child.

A child she'd labored over for centuries to create, battling endless letdowns, flickers of hope, and unyielding resolve until she finally welcomed him to life.

"I’m fine, Mom," Lucian assured her with a soft smile, keeping up the gentle rubs on her back to soothe her quivering body. Riven kept silent, yet his quaking stance, shaky eyes, and piercing look said volumes more than speech ever could, carrying the unspoken promise of a dad determined to never feel that powerless again.

Veronica lingered nearby, brushing away her own tears; she'd nearly lost her boyfriend after her old flame fell in combat, and now this one had teetered on the same edge—could she really be jinxed like that?

Even amid her swirling worries, she wept softly from a few meters off, respecting the boundaries since she wasn't full family yet, so she hung back politely, letting the Darkhearts share their reunion undisturbed.

Lucian's dark eyes turned to Veronica, and though he yearned to comfort her too, she'd need to hold on while he first eased his mother's distress.

Meanwhile, Zachary and Nyxss hovered close to Aaaninja, their expressions ashen and severe as dark fears gripped them. They'd seen his last strike aimed at Lucian Darkheart, followed by him summoning some incomprehensible force in a frantic bid to pull Lucian back from True Death.

"What’s happened to my boy? Why’s he out cold?" Nyxss demanded, her fingers shaking as she stroked Aaaninja Chronisynth Eternos’ cheek, every touch brimming with deep affection and motherly tenderness, her gaze scanning his form urgently for any sign of harm or oddity.

Zachary lifted his hand, mana swirling steadily around it, then pressed it to Aaaninja’s stomach, slowly feeding his energy inside to check the boy's inner condition, but the instant it touched, Aaaninja’s innate defenses kicked in and shoved it right back out.

Despite being limp and hovering in the air without aid, his form stayed afloat on its own, his instinctive command holding it steady without flaw.

"His defenses are pushing my mana away," Zachary noted, his scowl growing heavier; he'd planned to probe deeper for any hidden wounds, but the built-in barriers blocked every attempt completely.

Anthony, having moved back earlier to grant room to the Darkheart and Eternos clans, chose to approach again. He neared the clearly upset Zachary and Nyxss, offering them a warm, steady smile—not smug or playful, but the soothing kind a healer gives worried folks after a tricky, successful procedure.

With that serene look, he addressed them, "Your son’s completely okay; he’s just wiped out mentally from overextending way past his limits," he explained thoughtfully, detailing Aaaninja’s state to keep his folks from spiraling into fear or hopelessness.

Still, Nyxss, already picturing the direst fates, took his words the wrong way at first, and who could blame her— she'd never seen her son collapse like this; the only times he'd been out were regular naps, not amid chaos like now, so her alarm made total sense.

"My boy’s slipped into a coma?" Nyxss burst out, her eyes bulging in dread, "How long till he snaps out of it and comes back? Ten years? A hundred?" she pressed on, since even in their realm of wonders and spells, comas stayed a scary, baffling puzzle no matter their godlike strength.

Anthony let out a quiet sigh, puzzled at how his clear words had twisted into coma talk, "No, Mrs. Nyxss, what I meant is he’ll wake up in just a few hours—two at least, ten tops," he repeated steadily, making his point crystal clear.

Zachary and Nyxss both exhaled in huge relief at the correction, the heavy burden on their hearts vanishing in a flash. Nyxss tenderly shifted her grip on her son, then lifted him softly and rose into the air, heading for a peaceful spot where he could recover in peace.

Anthony rocketed up next to his parents and Collins, halting by them as they watched events play out from high above. They'd rarely fretted over such drama, given how ridiculously overpowered their boy Anthony always proved, far beyond what anyone expected.

"Baby monster, don’t you figure you could use even one flaw, just so your mom and I get a shot at rescuing you for a change?" Michael teased lightly, eyeing the clans below lost in their heartfelt bonds.

Anthony gave a quiet smile for a second before answering, "But Mom did rescue me a couple years back when those Demons snatched the students," he noted evenly.

"Oh come on, she said it was the Demons begging for mercy—you’d already crushed them all; she just hauled your friends to safety," Michael shot back right away, no pause.

Anthony merely shook his head and dropped the topic, with Mitchelle and Collins staying mum too, since nothing else fit the scene just then.

Altheria, Aura Nova, and Vega observed from the sidelines in silence, and sometime amid the heartfelt chaos, Romulus—who'd been lounging easy on Vega’s head—had vanished without a trace, leaving the girls clueless about his whereabouts.