The Extra's Rise-Chapter 461: Festival of the Red Sun (1)

The Festival of the Red Sun was a sacred event—one that carried the weight of centuries, tradition woven into every detail from the ceremonial armor to the intricate, solar-threaded banners that caught the light just so. It was held in the Southern Sea Sun Palace, a place both breathtaking and isolated, its walls bathed in golden light and its towers piercing the sky like the ambitions of its rulers.

In the past, even when the Palace had still interacted with the outside world, attendance at the festival was restricted to an inner circle of the highest nobility, select leaders, and those born under certain stars. Outsiders, no matter how important, were politely turned away. But this year was different. For the first time in generations, people from all over the island had been invited to witness it—academy students and professors included, much to everyone’s surprise. And the reason was clear to those paying attention: something was coming. And the Palace, for all its seclusion, intended to be prepared.

But Arthur Nightingale would not be attending.

In the dim light of the advanced medical wing of the Palace, Rose sat silently beside his bed. Monitors pulsed quietly in the background, their soft hum barely noticeable above the low whisper of mana-regulation equipment. Arthur hadn’t moved in days. After suffering a severe mana deviation—a condition that even the best medics struggled to explain without using words like collapse, overflow, and miracle—he had fallen into a coma.

He looked peaceful. As if he had simply fallen asleep after a long battle. But Rose knew better.

She reached out, her fingers hovering just above the strange, faint markings that had appeared on his skin—silvery patterns that shifted slightly when viewed from different angles, like light moving across water. The medics claimed they were a side effect of the mana purification process. Rose wasn’t convinced.

"They still don’t know what happened to you, do they?" she whispered, her voice barely disturbing the air. "Or they do, and they’re not telling us."

Arthur had always carried more than his share. In the Well of Miasma, he had gone beyond his limits—emerging stronger, yes, but changed. His swordsmanship was no longer something that could be described in simple terms. It had become something refined, efficient, and absolute. His elemental magic had grown more fluid, more devastating, and terrifyingly precise. His bond with his Lich, his mastery of martial arts, even the way his Gifts responded to him—they had all reached levels that didn’t seem fair.

And yet, here he was. Unmoving. Vulnerable.

Rose sat with her hands clasped tightly together, her eyes fixed on him. She remembered the helplessness she’d felt, watching him push forward again and again, taking risks none of them could afford to take, simply because someone had to.

She had trained. After the seal on her Gift was removed, she had thrown herself into her growth with single-minded focus. Her progress had been astonishing—she could now stand shoulder to shoulder with the strongest of their generation. But still, the distance between her and Arthur felt impossibly wide.

It wasn’t jealousy. It was something deeper. A quiet, aching sense that she should be doing more. That they all should.

Arthur couldn’t keep carrying the world on his own. He had already done too much. And if this coma was what it took for them to understand that, then maybe it was time they acted like it.

She leaned forward and gently brushed her lips against his forehead.

"Get well soon," she whispered. Not as a plea, but a promise.

Her smart watch vibrated against her wrist, the silent alarm she’d set. It was time.

Rose rose to her feet, sparing Arthur one last look before turning toward the door. There was no time to wait. The Festival was beginning, and with it, a turning point. Whether they were ready or not, the world was moving.

And this time, they would move with it.

The Festival of the Red Sun officially began at sunset, when the Red Sun itself—that strange celestial body unique to the island—seemed to hang directly over the highest tower of the Palace. As the sun’s crimson light bathed the entire structure, the massive ruby crystals embedded throughout the Palace’s architecture ignited with answering light, creating a cascade of blood-red illumination that was both beautiful and unsettling.

Rose stepped out into the central courtyard, momentarily breathless at the spectacle unfolding around her.

The normally austere Palace had been transformed into a wonderland of light and sound and scent. Massive flower arrangements—all in shades of red, orange, and gold—adorned every corner, their heady perfume mingling with the smoke from ceremonial incense burners crafted in the shape of ancient sun deities. Floating lanterns drifted upward into the darkening sky, thousands of them creating a second, man-made constellation above the Palace grounds.

The courtyard itself had been divided into different ritual spaces, each representing one of the seven traditional aspects of the Red Sun’s power: Rebirth, Judgment, Harvest, War, Love and Magic. Each section featured different performances, offerings, and activities, allowing attendees to experience all facets of the sun’s influence according to island tradition.

"Impressive, isn’t it?" Seraphina appeared beside her, dressed in a formal robe of midnight blue embroidered with silver constellations—a striking contrast to the sea of red and gold around them.

"It’s... more than I expected," Rose admitted, accepting a small cup of sun-blessed wine from a passing acolyte. The liquid inside glowed faintly, infused with some manner of luminescent herb.

Together, they moved deeper into the festivities. In the Rebirth section, young children were being blessed by priests in white and gold, their foreheads marked with symbols meant to ensure long and fortunate lives. In the Harvest section, tables groaned under the weight of exotic fruits, breads, and sweets, all freely offered to guests as a symbol of abundance.

The War section was particularly popular with academy students, featuring demonstrations of ancient fighting styles by Palace guards in ceremonial armor so ornate it seemed impossible to actually fight in. Rose noticed several of their classmates watching intently, no doubt mentally cataloging techniques they might adapt for their own use.

"Professor Nero seems to be enjoying himself," Seraphina observed, nodding toward their tactics instructor who was deep in conversation.

They continued their circuit, passing through the Love section where couples received blessings and drank from shared cups of wine infused with passion-inducing herbs. Young women in diaphanous red gowns danced around a central fire, their movements telling the ancient story of the Sun God’s courtship of the Moon Goddess.

In the Magic section, Palace mages performed spectacular displays of elemental manipulation, creating intricate illusions of historical events tied to the Red Sun’s influence.

They then went to the final section—Judgment. Here, Lord Daedric himself presided over a ceremonial court where symbolic disputes were resolved according to ancient tradition. Seated on a raised dais of polished ruby, he cut an imposing figure in his formal regalia, his face stern yet fair as he listened to the ritual complaints and rendered verdicts that would influence Palace policy for the coming year.

And beside him, silent but undeniably present, stood Alyssara Velcroix.

Even from a distance, Rose could feel the weight of the woman’s attention. She was exquisite in a gown that seemed to be woven from living flame, her pink hair adorned with ornaments of gold and ruby that caught the light with every slight movement. Her eyes, that peculiar shade of cyan with hints of green, swept over the crowd with casual authority.

"She’s watching us," Rose said softly.

"She’s watching everyone," Seraphina corrected, though her posture subtly stiffened. "It’s her role."

"Have you seen the others?" Rose asked as they paused near an elaborate ice sculpture of the Palace itself, the frozen creation somehow withstanding the warmth of the evening.

"Rachel is at the martial demonstration in the War section," Seraphina replied. "Cecilia was sampling every food in the Harvest section last I saw. Lucifer is..." She scanned the crowd. "There, near the astronomy display. And Seol-ah is likely avoiding the crowds entirely."

Rose nodded, unsurprised. They had all agreed to appear casual, to participate in the Festival as ordinary attendees would, while maintaining awareness of their surroundings and each other’s positions.

As the evening progressed, they made their way to the massive Star Garden—a normally restricted area opened only during the Festival—where rare night-blooming flowers captured and reflected starlight in mesmerizing patterns. The garden was arranged to mirror the major constellations, with pools of water strategically placed to double the celestial effect.

"It’s almost time for the Sun Descent ritual," Seraphina noted, checking the delicate timepiece hidden in her sleeve. "They’ll be moving to the Inner Sanctum soon."

The Sun Descent was the central ceremony of the Festival—the moment when Lord Daedric and his inner circle would retreat to a private chamber to perform rituals too sacred for public viewing. It was said that during this time, the fate of the island for the coming year was determined through communion with the spirit of the Red Sun itself.

It was also the moment when security would be most focused on the ritual chambers, leaving other areas of the Palace—including the restricted archives—with minimal coverage.

"There’s Rachel," Rose said, spotting their friend moving purposefully through the crowd toward them.

Before they could discuss further, a series of deep, resonant gongs rang out across the Palace grounds. The Sun Descent ceremony was about to begin. All around them, the crowd began to shift, moving toward the central plaza where Lord Daedric would make his procession to the Inner Sanctum.

"It’s time," Seraphina said quietly.

"Let’s go," Rose said simply.