Chapter 28: You Can Tell How Terrifyingly Strong He Is Just by the Way He Sits

Chapter 28: You Can Tell How Terrifyingly Strong He Is Just by the Way He Sits

Real World, Crustyroll, 8:00 PM.

“First!”

“New week, new episode!”

“Protect The Best Show in the Galaxy! ❤️”

After a whole week of waiting, the fifth episode of Stellaris: Embers finally aired to a roaring wave of anticipation from fans everywhere.

Thanks to the buildup from the first four episodes, the audience’s hostility toward Chen Kong—the once unbearably pathetic protagonist—had cooled considerably.

After all, in Episode 4, Chen Kong had finally shown his worth as a “weakling,” proving that even someone without overwhelming power could still have their moment.

That little redemption arc completely flipped public opinion.

And now that the show no longer had its one major “dark spot,” combined with its top-tier production and heavy marketing push, Stellaris: Embers was on fire across Crustyroll— the fanbase growing like a rising tide.

Episode 5 picked up right after the final assessment arc, beginning with a shot of Chen Kong lying in a recovery pod after suffering severe injuries.

Inside the glass chamber, his bare body was covered in sensors and electrodes—but instead of sympathy, the live comment feed exploded with laughter.

“Recovery pod? Bro, that’s a fish tank!”

“So pale!”

“Doctor, move your head— you’re blocking the important view!”

As the chat spammed memes, the attending Doctor began calmly explaining Chen Kong’s condition on-screen.

There were a lot of words, but the gist was simple: “He’s fine. He’ll wake up in a few days.”

Not that anyone really needed to hear that—if the main character actually died here, what would the rest of the show even be?

A “Stellaris: Embers” story without its protagonist?

That’d be… actually kind of great, some viewers joked.

A small but vocal group in the comments genuinely hoped Chen Kong would just stay “in treatment” forever and never come back out.

Unfortunately for them, the production team had other plans.

The camera slowly panned down—from Chen Kong’s glass pod… to the legs of a nameless male doctor walking past.

As the doctor exited the frame, the shot seamlessly transitioned to the conference room of the Ember Organization.

The camera then followed the movement of a different pair of legs—this time belonging to none other than Tachibana—creating a perfectly smooth match cut between scenes.

The moment her black-silk-clad feet stepped into frame, the danmaku erupted again—this time with sheer enthusiasm.

“Sluuuurp! Premium quality! A fine vintage!”

“Respectfully and reverently: blessed be the meal!”

“See? I told you this was secretly a gourmet show!”

As the shot lingered, the camera began to rise, tracing the elegant lines of Tachibana’s black stockings upward.

That subtle, deliberate camera movement made certain viewers lean in closer—bodies curling like shrimp, faces practically glued to their monitors.

But to their disappointment, the 12+ rated Stellaris: Embers didn’t go that far.

Just as the camera reached her knees, it stopped—and then tilted upward, shifting focus toward the conference table and the eleven Children of the Stars seated around it.

Bathed in dim, overlapping light and shadow, they looked young—yet their half-hidden faces radiated a quiet, chilling aura.

And at the far end of the table—a lone figure sat while everyone else stood.

Tendou.

Leaning back against a tall chair, arms folded across his chest, one leg casually crossed over the other, his expression was one of effortless composure.

No flashy aura, no words—just that posture alone.

And still—you could feel it.

That suffocating, indescribable pressure.

Even through the screen, viewers could tell that this guy was terrifyingly strong.

A perfectly standard “One Piece Marine Admiral” sitting pose.

And that still frame—almost as if the production team had gone out of their way to tell the audience through cinematic language alone—

That the ten Children of the Stars standing before him existed only to highlight the one true king among them: Tendou.

After all, only a king doesn’t need to bow to anyone.

“Wow! You can tell how terrifyingly strong he is just from the way he’s sitting!”

“Wait—he’s not the protagonist?”

“That posture, that aura—Tendou, you absolute legend!”

But as the saying goes—no one stays cool for more than three seconds.

Before the audience could finish swooning over Tendou’s regal composure, a figure walking past him—Tachibana—casually flicked the back of his head with her finger.

“At least pretend to behave. You’ve got no manners at all.”

“C’mon, Yume-nee. My injury’s still acting up, can’t be moving around too much, right?”

“…Do whatever you want.”

One moment, the kingly aura of a sovereign.

The next, a squirming little brother clutching his head and making excuses.

The live chat exploded.

Anyone else touching Tendou like that would’ve completely shattered the grand, awe-inspiring image the production team had built up for him.

But Tachibana? That was different.

Thanks to the earlier flashbacks, everyone already knew that although she wasn’t his real sister, their bond ran deeper than blood.

So instead of undermining his strong, stoic persona, her playful scolding only made the audience feel warmer toward them both.

“Hahaha! Tachibana—Tendou’s natural predator!”

“Tendou: Sis, please— not in front of the camera!”

“Man, I wish I had a big sister like Tachibana to hit me like that…”

“Yeah, good luck with that, bro. You’re on your own.”

Watching Tendou getting utterly dominated by Tachibana, the viewers didn’t feel the slightest bit of pity.

In fact, they doubled down—mocking him mercilessly, while a small, very special portion of the chat seemed to awaken… unconventional tastes.

Truly, the diversity of humanity knew no bounds.

Once the laughter died down, the Doctor finally revealed why he had gathered them.

He dismissed the others and left Tendou alone in the room—then produced two shimmering Star Origins.

One was labeled [Dreamweaver], and the other—[Vector Control].

And just as the audience predicted, despite the Doctor’s careful persuasion, Tendou chose exactly the one everyone expected him to.

He reached for Vector Control without hesitation.

“Whether it suits me or not—” 

“—that’s not for anyone else to decide.”

“Dreamweaver’s just a power that hides behind others’ strength. That’s not my style.”

“I, Masamune Tendou, either do nothing—” 

“—or I do it as the strongest.”

“So yeah, Doctor,” he said, tapping the cube lightly, “this Vector Control suits me just fine.”

As Tendou absorbed the glowing core into his body, the fifth episode of “Stellaris: Embers” reached its midpoint.

The screen faded to black.

When the image returned, it shifted back to the rehabilitation ward—where the true protagonist, Chen Kong, awoke.

Three days had already passed since the final assessment ended.

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