"There, that was the st one!" Ren sighed as she finished bandaging Isha, who could now finally sit up thanks to the healing pills she had taken. "Still, you should rest; those bolts were nasty and shredded your muscle on impact."

  "Yeah… I felt that. A weaker cultivator would be torn apart. Lucky me~!"

  "Hehe, yup!" She patted her hands and stood up beside her. "Your plumpness worked in your favor now."

  "You are lucky I am exhausted, or I would smack you hard on the buttocks." Isha snorted, rolling her eyes.

  "Fufufu, I know, I know~ Anyway! We need to go back... When 01 and 02 have returned, we leave."

  "Just like that?" She raised her eyebrow. "No revenge or something?"

  "Nope. I saw the look on the guy's face with the shield." She expined, crossing her arms, "I guess he thought I was of the royal bloodline. This is even better! Let them think that and disappear before they can snoop around further."

  "Hah! I see, I see!" Isha chuckled, wanting to ugh, but everything was hurting, "Well, one thing is sure, I'll advance after I am recovered... I shouldn't put it off anymore."

  "For now, rest." Ren patted her head. "Lacuss, can you guard her?"

  "Sure." He nodded as he was already standing beside the small bedroom window.

  "I'll go see the others and check out the city. Our battle surely drew some eyes~!" Ren hummed as she giggled, leaving the room.

  Outside, Shadow was lying down, licking his wounds with a calm expression. His injuries were already taken care of by Lacuss, leaving behind only scars, while Ghanda nervously neighed as soon as he saw Ren arrive outside.

  "Rex, she is fine. You did well..." She patted his neck, calming the horse down, then rubbed Shadow's head. "You too."

  A moment ter, Kyu appeared before her, sitting down with a silly expression, clearly smiling, waiting to be rewarded. She looked completely unbothered by the destroyed garden and the hastily burned corpses, still smoking at the back... she was only focused on getting a reward.

  "Yeah, yeah, you too… but I would be happier if you had stepped in without me asking for it!" Ren rolled her eyes as Kyu just tilted her head, pointing at herself. "I know you were asleep, you zy bum!" She ughed before forming a lightning sphere in her hand and tossing it toward Kyu.

  The massive bck-and-white creature acted like a hungry predator, quickly grabbing it in the air, putting the whole thing in her mouth, gulping it down with a satisfied expression, and patting her giant belly, rolling around, grunting.

  "You are really something…." Ren murmured, as in the previous days, that ever since she got her hands on her new pet, she had discovered that Kyu could absorb any energy if it didn't exceed her natural limits, her actual level... "No wonder you are so sleepy all the time." She patted her giant belly as she flopped onto her back, going to sleep as if nothing mattered, absorbing the fresh food. "I wonder what will become of you..."

  …….…..

  After the sun went down, Ren also returned, just as Isha was eating soup, already looking a lot better in complexion. Lacuss was sitting outside, meditating, while Shadow was lying beside him, trying to mimic his master.

  "How's the city?" Isha asked as Ren walked in, plopping down in a chair next to the bed.

  "Chaotic. The leading ministers were all killed gruesomely, and the governor is missing."

  "Did they get her or…?"

  "My guess is she left early. The whole vil of hers is empty. Now the city is without a leader, and the lower-ranked nobles are already moving in to secure a position before the Elroths' main forces arrive to restore order."

  "Haah, I heard that all of the kingdoms are always full of something like this, fighting for a higher position and the battles between the kingdoms, marking the whole world on this side of the continent…." She shook her head, sighing. "The pce is nice, but honestly, I prefer how the Empire works; it looks more secure from here and more stable too." She took another spoonful of her soup between sharing her thoughts, "I don't know how people can live like this when everybody is out there, trying to get onto your seat if you are not looking. Maybe even crush you with their bum as they sit down on you. Oh well! So… What about us?"

  "Nothing yet." Ren said with a smile, "They heard and felt the shocks from the fight. They wouldn't want to mess with us, but that does not mean we won't be the scapegoats if we stay. They are just waiting for the reinforcement."

  "Then we really should go! I'm feeling fine already, so we can go anytime."

  "Well, I wanted to find more warehouses, but they already got wind of losing their people, and I can guess that they are already empty by now. Anyway, it's best to leave, you are right! 01 and 02 shouldn't take longer than two more days to arrive." Ren climbed up to her bed while speaking, "When you are healed a bit more, I'll spank you, you know that?"

  "You wouldn't hurt an injured girl, no?" Isha blinked her eyes innocently at her, mimicking Ren's usual 'nice' expression.

  "That's why I said when you are healed a little!" Ren flicked Isha's forehead, pursing her lips, "What kind of order was that, huh?"

  "Why? No way I would let those bastards have the chance to capture us! Hmph! I would rather die than be a sve."

  "And what should I say to Zern when I go home? What happened to his dear Isha? Hm?" She asked with a raised eyebrow, "Don't be so selfish! Hmf!" nded a second flick the next moment, right where the first one was delivered.

  "He would've understood my decision…." Isha murmured, rubbing her forehead.

  "Yeah, but it would still hurt him. Also, me too! So forget those thoughts, okay? Nobody dies under my watch!" Ren grinned, patting her head. "Nobody, not until I drew breath!" She silenced Isha, who just looked down at her soup, her face going red and her eyes slowly filling with tears that she held back.

  Growing up on the streets shaped her the way she was, yet in times like these… When Ren acted and comforted her, it was something she never experienced as a child. She couldn't help but shed some tears before wiping her face, putting on a sulking expression yet radiating happiness from deep within her eyes.

  "Oookay, Mom!" She scoffed, masking her weak voice, "Look on the bright side. You got rid of the colr. How did you do it?"

  "Pure, undiluted rage." She answered as she showed a V sign and then stuck out her tongue, "Also, I used my bloodline's ability, which I picked up from 01 and 02. It is still not the best or most efficient way I used it, but I bet it served as a basis for enhancing the colr. My gamble was right, and I could nullify its control. Lucky for you!"

  "Thanks…"

  "See? Was that hard~? Fufufu~! Anyway, rest, because when you feel better, an ass-whooping is coming for you, by yours truly!"

  "Sure, sure." She rolled her eyes, watching Ren get up from next to her as she went to have a word with Lacuss. While she did that, Isha leaned back on the bed, putting her bowl to the side, and looking at her bandages, shaking her head, "That little imp… heh, dares to make me cry; hmf, we will see who gets spanked!" She chuckled to herself, already in a happy mood despite everything.

  …….…..

  "Okay, stop!" Carthus's steel-like voice came while Leinor stepped backward, cupping his hands together.

  His grandfather simply looked at him with a calm expression, rubbing his mummified left hand, which slowly regained flesh and its standard skin color. As for Leinor... His aura was strong, warm, and energetic, indicating he was already in the Harmony Realm. He only wore the bottom part of his uniform, letting the morning sunshine on his perfectly crafted body while his blonde hair gently moved behind him to the tune of the morning wind.

  "Since your tribution, you have better control over it. Honestly… I don't know if I could kill you by now."

  "I still have a lot of things to learn, grandfather." Leinor bowed without a change in his calm expression.

  "I just hope you won't rely on that power too much." Carthus said, lecturing him one more time, "You are gifted in our bloodline's gift, have great regeneration, and your lifeforce is thick, so much so, that... just look beneath your feet!"

  When Leinor turned his gaze downwards, he could see that the grass beside him was green and healthy, and that small, white, and yellow flowers were gently blooming wherever he stood.

  "You need to learn to pull all of it back; it still seeps out of your body."

  "Ren will help with that." He smiled longingly as it had been weeks since he st saw her.

  "Like father, like son!" Carthus shook his head with a snort, "I don't know how he turned out like this."

  "I… didn't mean it like that…."

  "..." the old emperor didn't say anything and just looked at him before he closed his eyes. "Let's get ready for the journey back; we are out of death row criminals for you to hunt down anyway." He said, floating up as Leinor followed him, putting on the rest of his uniform.

  On the way back to the Sect, they first stopped at the capital, of course, where Feynor welcomed them warmly, hugging his little brother firmly.

  "Man, when did you advance? You shine like the morning sun!" He ughed loudly, spping him on the back repeatedly.

  "A few days ago." Leinor chuckled, following his brother, still acting like a small kid before him. "We are going back to the Sect, but I wanted to say hi before doing so. How have you been? What is it like being the Emperor?"

  "Dull." Feynor sighed, telling it as it was, "Every second day is just a meeting with ministers or regional leaders, going over mundane things. No wonder Father was so ready to step down; I am already bored with it! The only interesting part is when Niji comes to complete or renew some deals."

  "Ahaha, you will get the hang of it, don't worry!"

  "Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention, you will be an Uncle!"

  "Wha-? Really?! Congratutions, Big Brother!" Leinor ughed loudly, hugging his oldest brother.

  "Ahaha, thanks~! I already sent word to father, but you were out of touch. Also… going by what I felt when I touched her belly, they are twins." He said proudly.

  "Great! The more, the better!" Leinor grinned.

  "Saying this… what about you? I know Lacuss; I don't think he ever was interested in a naked woman. Or man. Reignar… the opposite, but he is not about having kids, at least, not any time soon. So it leaves us, Lil' Bro… you need to work on it too!"

  “Ah… well… you see…” He turned red completely, darting his eyes left to right rapidly. "It won't be easy, especially as both of us… You know how hard it is to get pregnant if someone is this advanced in strength..."

  "What are you talking about? Our bloodline is made for it! It will be as easy as for any mortal; you just need to hit your mark correctly! So practice that aiming of yours... If you want, I can share some nice poses that will help the outcome." Feynor added as he ughed loudly, nding a few big sps on his back, almost making Leinor choke on his saliva.

  "When did you turn into Third Brother?"

  "When I got addicted to the feeling of becoming a father. Maybe?"

  While they were catching up, Carthus listened to Nameless's report and that of his subordinates, who were now spread thin across the Empire, trying to catch those spreading rumors that the Empire was falling under the demons' control.

  "Any news?" Carthus asked while he sat down at his old gazebo.

  "Good to see you, Old Master. I only have the same report that I gave to the Emperor." Nameless kneeled down before him, "The people we catch are all civilians without any noteworthy powers; the strongest was at only the 3rd level of body refinement."

  "So they are using sleepers."

  "Yes. We likely won't find anything important even if we scour their minds. They must have been pnted long ago and got activated only now."

  "Damned Naulin bloodline." Carthus cursed as he tapped on his armrest. "It's hard fighting against something like that... If we start removing these individuals, it's like we are trying to hush them, and it will feed the rumors, giving them legitimacy. If this turns the public's perception, it could lead to a civil war..."

  "The Emperor said we should address it through action. He wants to start an education program on telling the demons' history, showcasing our differences and simirities. People who respond well to that get a chance to visit Thunder Valley."

  "I see. He will be a good Emperor if he can think of something like that." Carthus smiled slightly, agreeing with the idea, "I became old, can't adapt to the new things, it seems… Haahh…" He shook his head before looking at Nameless. "I have a mission for you."

  "I'm listening." He bowed his head without hesitation.

  "You need to infiltrate the Kingdom. Search for my son and deliver a letter to him." He picked one out of the inner pocket of his uniform and gave it to Nameless. He just accepted it with a bow and put it away, asking no questions as to why. "I know it won't be easy, but I trust your powers greatly."

  "It will be done." He bowed once again before disappearing, already on his way.

  "Thank you." Carthus sighed, leaning backward, watching the small ke silently, submerging in old memories, about the time when he had two sons...